


find the strength, find the melody

by sunset_phantom



Series: relight that spark [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020), Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson-centric, Julie is very sad and angsty, Light Angst, Luke Patterson Loves Julie Molina, Soft Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Sunset Curve (Julie and The Phantoms), except Rose dies, juke, parts of this are based off of my own novel, that's still canon, this bad boy can fit so much projection in it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunset_phantom/pseuds/sunset_phantom
Summary: An AU in which the boys are alive, Julie has been kicked out of her music program, and she somehow ends up falling in love with Luke in three days while he simultaneously brings her back to her first love of all: music.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Series: relight that spark [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103810
Comments: 105
Kudos: 271





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Fic Title: Wake Up by Madison Reyes (yes I know it's technically a Julie and The Phantoms song, but let's be real, this is 100% a Madison Reyes song)

It had been a year since the last time Julie Molina’s fingertips touched down on the ivory piano keys. A year where she wouldn’t, couldn’t, play a single note to save her life without dissolving into a mess of hysterical panic. A year where even the thought of opening her mouth to sing left her throat constricting like she was allergic to the very idea. A year of deafening silence in her household, nobody even daring to pop a CD in the living room player anymore. An entire year without her mother.

In short, Julie had been having A Very Bad Day for a literal year now. Today wasn’t about to change that for her.

“What do you mean it would be best for me to find a new music program?” 

The words were a strangled cry, somehow escaping around the thick blockade in her throat.

“I’m sorry, Julie, but it’s out of my hands. I’ve done everything I can. The music program is very competitive and the requirements to keep a spot open are strict. I’ve held off the school for a year now, but...”

Ms. Harrison sighed. It was obvious she didn’t like this any more than Julie did. 

“Participation is 75% of your grade. I can’t grade what doesn’t exist.”

The words were soft, but Julie felt the sharp sting of them cutting straight through to her heart. Ms. Harrison gave her a sympathetic look. Julie knew it wasn’t her teacher’s fault. She had been given chance after chance to fix this mess, to fix herself. The failure was hers and hers alone.

“Thank you...for everything, Ms. Harrison.”

The words were a goodbye. They both knew it. Ms. Harrison’s returning smile was gentle and sad.

“I’m so sorry, Julie. Good luck.”

And just like that, Julie Molina was no longer a vocal studies student at Los Feliz High School. 

Julie left the classroom feeling for all the world like a woman adrift in an endless sea. Who was she without music? Obviously, the answer was whatever version of herself she had been for the last year, but was that really who she was now? Was she really doomed to lose that part of her identity entirely, like a limb that had to be amputated out of necessity but it’s ghost still lingered, useless and ineffective? The thought of existing like this shell of herself for the rest of her life felt overwhelmingly sad but also undeniable. After all, Julie’s music had always been tied to her mother. Without her mom, there was no music left in Julie’s heart anyway.

It was those morose thoughts that consumed her as she made her way down the school hallways, chin tucked low against her chest, hat brim pulled over her eyes so no one would notice the tattletale tear marks down her cheeks. After a year of practice, Julie had become extremely adept at navigating the school hallways basically blind. She hardly ever ran into people anymore. Obviously, because today was The Worst Day of 2020, her luck had to give out exactly at that moment.

“Oof!” 

Julie’s breath huffed out in a surprised exhale. With a graceless flailing of arms, she fell backwards smack dab onto her backside, her books completely scattering across the deserted hallway. She blinked a few times in shock, her surroundings coming into focus as she steadied her breathing. 

“Hey, watch where you’re-oh! Oh. Sorry, shoulda....shoulda done a better job lookin out.”

One large hand extended in front of her face. Julie followed the line of bare skin upwards to an impressive display of biceps peeking out from the deep side cut of the boy’s homemade tank top. Her gaze wandered further, taking in the shaggy almost too-long brown hair shoved unceremoniously underneath an orange beanie, the soft green-blue eyes that were gazing at her with a clear apology. Her own eyes skipped across his face as realization dawned. Well great. Exactly what she didn’t need. Los Feliz’s very own rebel rock-n-roll bad boy here to witness her downfall. She hastily scrubbed the leftover tears from her cheeks, rising from the ground without his help _thank you very much._

“No, you’re right. It was my fault. Sorry.” 

Her words came out in a clipped rush, red staining her cheeks. She dropped her head back down, maneuvering around the unfairly cute boy in front of her so she could begin to collect her books. Before she could grab more than one, a neat stack was being gently tucked into her arms.

“Nah, Molina. I had my head in the clouds. Second nature to blame someone else for my problems.”

The cheeky wink he flashed her was ruined by the slight thread of contempt running through his last sentence. His careless, cocky shrug was a bit more convincing.

“’Sides, everyone knows not to get in the way of a woman on a mission. You clearly have places to be.” 

He dipped his head, eyes bouncing across her face as he tried to catch her gaze. She gave him a small, tight smile, reaching up to tuck a lose curl behind her ear. His answering grin felt like the first glimpse of sunshine after a month of rain. The crack in her heart ached in an unfamiliar way, Julie’s hand rising of its own accord to rub at the dumb muscle. Their eyes held for a long moment, a weird tension crackling between the two, before Julie bit her lip and broke the stare down. Like Lucas freaking Patterson, king of the Los Feliz musical department, would ever understand what she was dealing with right now. Steeling herself against his too warm gaze, she stepped back.

“Yep. Places to be. Like...not here, so...see ya.”

Her hand rose in a stiff wave. The awkward exit was not her best work, admittedly. And was it just her imagination or had the spark behind his eyes dimmed at her dismissal? Whatever. Didn’t matter. Julie wasn’t a vocal student here anymore. Might not even be a student here in general once her dad got wind of this new development. Her path and Luke’s were destined to shoot in opposite directions from this moment forward: his star rising higher as his band continued to take the musical scene by storm, her star hurtling its way down to Earth in a pathetic blaze of glory before snuffing itself out on impact. They wouldn’t meet again after this.

Without a second look back, Julie turned her back on the dejected puppy moonlighting as a teenage boy in front of her and escaped out of the school into the warmth of another glorious LA afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my first full length Juke fic! I started writing this as a way to workshops scenes/storylines from an OC novel I'm working on and it kind of grew a mind of it's own and became what it is now: a fully fleshed out AU with a few spin-offs in the works and the biggest reason to procrastinate working on my other novel! Tumblr has 7 chapters of this posted already, so updates should be pretty quick at least until this account is caught up with that one. The first few chapters will be slightly different because they'll be fully edited. Nothing major will change though, and once chapters are caught up they'll be consistently posted at the same time on both platforms. Comments and kudos make my heart sing, but you can also come yell at me on tumblr if that's more your jam! My url over there is phantom-curve<3


	2. Day Two: Part 1

The next day, as Julie was walking to school by herself, contemplating the mess that was her life now, a car pulled over next to her on the side of the road. At first, she ignored it. She pretended she didn’t hear the way the tires slowed, crunching on the gravel in the bike lane. She had her headphones in after all, it was a believable excuse. Then the sound cut off entirely. A door opened and closed, the thud echoing in the cool morning air. 

“Hey, Molina!”

His voice was loud enough that Julie would have been able to hear him even with the volume turned all the way up. Still, she continued on like she hadn’t noticed him. Her step never faltered down the path, a good 10 feet away from where his car was parked, still idling. Without warning, a warm hand grasped her left wrist.

“Julie.”

Her name was a caress, soft and warm as it wove its way into her ear. It was intimate in a way she didn’t feel fully comfortable with. She shivered, goosebumps rippling down her arms. He released his grip, but the ring his fingers had made around her wrist burned like a brand. Slowly, hands trembling ever so slightly, she reached up to remove her earbuds. She turned on her heel, eyes focused on his forehead, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Hey, Luke.”

One of his thick eyebrows rose, silently asking if she was really going to act like she hadn’t heard his approach. She stuck out her chin in response, forever her mother’s headstrong, stubborn twin. He puffed out his cheeks and then let his breath go on a slight chuckle, lips turning up at the edges, eyes crinkling. He swept his hands out in a grand gesture, showcasing the parked car behind them with a dramatic flourish.

“Need a ride to school?”

Her first instinct was to frown and give him an unequivocal “no”. She got as far as the frown before her eyes fully focused on the car, or more importantly, who was inside of the car. She didn’t have very long to study them before the other boys were climbing out of the passenger side and backseat of the car in perfect synchronization. Her frown intensified, brown eyes snapping to meet Luke’s earnest gaze.

“Hi Julie!”

A lean dark-haired boy raised his leather jacket clad arm in a cheerful greeting. She felt her own arm raise without conscious thought, Reggie’s unbreakable enthusiasm pulling a response out of her despite herself. Her eyes skimmed over to the other boy. Alex’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly, blonde hair flopping into his eyes as he grimaced at her.

“Sorry. If it’s any consolation, I told him to just keep driving.”

“Sooooo, can we give you a ride?”

Julie’s attention was pulled back to the boy standing in front of her by his soft drawl. She studied him from head to toe, brow furrowing as she tried to decide what, exactly, he was playing at here. By the time she reached his face, she could tell he had figured out what she was doing. He gave a little scoff, shoulders rising in a defensive, self-deprecating move that she knew all too well. Better to insult yourself, act like none of it really mattered anyway, before someone else could stick the knife in.

He kicked one foot out, scuffing the dirt between them. He expected the no now, was practically banking on it. Something about his immediate response told her that he had been hearing it all his life, especially in those moments when he was offering up a vulnerable side of himself. _Like right now._ Julie studied the three faces before her, _someone was missing – wasn’t there usually four of them?_ Her resolve cracked, splintering beyond recognition as she gave in with a long-suffering sigh. She had always been a sucker for band boys.

“Okay, fine.”

The smile that stretched across his lips shone with such an intensity Julie briefly wished she had sunglasses. It wasn’t fair that he was able to make his face that...that _nice looking_. How was she supposed to resist his kindness when he looked at her like that? With another over-the-top wave of his arms he led her towards the car.

“Your chariot awaits.”

The murmur was meant for her ears only, Luke leaning so close she could feel the heat from his breath against her ear. She shivered again, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He smirked at her and seemed to almost bounce as he led her to the car. Reggie and Alex exchanged a quick high-five with him, Alex immediately relinquishing the front seat to Julie, brushing her argument aside when she tried to take the backseat instead.

“Passenger seat gets to control the radio. Consider it a musical education for our sweet little Lucas.”

Luke stuck his tongue out and gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes before leveling Julie with a surprisingly hot look over the top of the car. She gulped, unwilling to let herself be sucked in by the ever-present charm that seemed to ooze from his pores. She gave him a small nod and slipped into the passenger seat, buckling herself in before he could remind her. Reggie and Alex crowded in the back and once again Julie realized this band picture was incomplete.

“Where’s Bobby?”

The storm clouds that immediately rolled into the car told Julie that was exactly the wrong question to ask. For one single moment she regretted it, and then she decided, _fuck it_ , her trauma and grief had been on open display for everyone to see for the last year. She deserved to pry a little bit into someone else’s life for once. Luke’s hands flexed on the wheel, his lips curling into his teeth. Reggie and Alex exchanged a quick look before the drummer leaned forward.

“Bobby...isn’t really a part of our band anymore. Turns out we had different...musical aspirations as it were.”

Luke gave a faint growl and Alex rolled his eyes. Reggie jumped to cover up the awkward silence.

“Enough about that, dude, how did your meeting with Ms. Harrison go yesterday?”

And now it was Sunset Curve’s turn to ask the worst question imaginable. Misery really did love company, eh? Julie felt herself shrink into the seat, knees curling into her chest as she fought to keep her breathing steady. Alex and Luke both groaned loudly, Alex’s hand darting out to smack the bassist’s arm hard enough to make an indent in the leather.

“We should get going or we’re gonna be late for school.”

The words scraped against the lump in her throat, barely rasping their way to the surface. Julie turned her face to look out the passenger side window, her dismissal clear in every tense line of her neck and jawline. Luke started the car, frustration evident in his jerky movements and fiery glances thrown into the rearview mirror. The noise of the engine was loud enough to cause Alex to jump slightly. Reggie looked at the blonde boy next to him with confused desperation, _had he stuck his foot in it again?,_ but the drummer just groaned and buried his face in his hands. Reggie dared one more glance at Julie’s stiff profile, _clearly that meeting was a touchy topic._ He caught Luke’s exasperated glare and suddenly understood that maybe asking Julie about the make-it-or-break-it music program meeting wasn’t the best idea this early on a Tuesday morning. Luke rolled his eyes as he saw the realization dawn, but it was too late to do anything now. Julie had shut down in the passenger seat. In complete silence, they drove towards the high school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try and post a chapter daily or every other day until I'm caught up to the chapters posted on tumblr. Updates will become more sporadic after it's caught up!


	3. Day Two: Part 2

The second the entrance of Los Feliz High School was in her sight, Julie was unbuckling her seatbelt, bolting out of the car in a mad dash to escape into the academic institution. Luke didn’t even have time to fully park said vehicle before she had disappeared out of it, her curly head vanishing into the mass of students surging through the front doors as the first bell began to ring. Social etiquette dictated that she wait around long enough to at least thank Luke for the ride, but honestly, social etiquette could suck a fat one. She had been dealing with fake social graces for the last year and frankly, she was sick of all of the bullshit. She didn’t feel particularly inclined to extend said graces to overconfident band boys intent on disrupting her carefully constructed routine.

For the last year Luke had been content to ignore her presence in the few classes they shared, perfectly happy basking in the glory of being an upperclassman with unprecedented musical talent. Luke knew exactly where he was going and how he was going to get there. He didn’t stop to wait for the school to hook him up with gigs, he went out and made the shows happen for his band himself. Julie had always admired his confidence, secretly wished she could be more like him.

She hadn’t always loved the cockier side to his attitude though. He had a tendency to act like god’s gift to music and it drove her insane considering there were kids at this school that worked just as hard as him but wouldn’t ever make it quite as far. Not everyone could be born with that kind of talent, but that didn’t mean he had to rub other people’s faces in it! She should know. Hadn’t she always been complimented on her musical ability before anything else? And now that she didn’t have that same gift to offer up to the masses, wasn’t she just another forgotten face in the crowd?

Head low, shoulders hunched against the onslaught of emotion, Julie pushed her way through the morning crowd of students. She didn’t look up until she knew her locker would be in front of her, and even then she only lifted her head long enough to bury it inside of the metal box, pretending she was searching for the schoolbooks already in her backpack.

“Hey, under achiever.”

The familiar voice was warm, the nickname affectionate instead of insulting. It pulled a reluctant smile from Julie as she turned to meet her best friend’s gentle gaze.

“Hey, disappointment.”

Flynn gave her a little hip bump and a sad smile. _Oh._ So, word had already spread around the school.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Julie hefted her backpack higher on her shoulder, one hand reaching to pull her hat low. Too late she recognized how her own actions almost mirrored Luke’s earlier. Flynn, best friend that she was, linked her arm through Julie’s and began to lead them down the hallway towards homeroom.

“Okay.”

Julie breathed a sigh of relief. Her best friend could be like a dog with a bone sometimes, unable to let any perceived injustice go without a fight. She was thankful she had avoided whatever rant Flynn had at the ready for the time being.

“But we’re gonna have to talk about it eventually, Jules. You _can’t_ just let them kick you out! You’re Julie Molina! Voice of an angel! Queen of-!”

 _Or maybe not._ Flynn’s declarations cut off immediately at the cold look Julie sent her way.

“Right, don’t wanna talk about it.”

Julie nodded fiercely, unmoved by Flynn’s disappointed sigh as she pulled out of her grasp and slipped into her desk. Flynn hadn’t lost her mom and her ability to play music all at once. Flynn didn’t have the entire school breathing down her neck. Flynn’s life wasn’t falling apart in front of her eyes. Flynn didn’t get to judge. Head down, Julie fought back the feelings of shame and guilt, focusing on her anger instead.

She made it through most of the day like that, focusing solely on the burning fire in her gut to get her through her classes. Until the last two classes of the day. _Composition. Solo Vocal Studies._ Except, she wasn’t in those classes anymore. She had been dropped from them like the useless failure that she was. Her dad still didn’t know, so there hadn’t been a meeting with the school to change her schedule. But she couldn’t just go to a class she had been asked to leave. The final bell rang, and Julie was left by herself in the empty hallways. She glanced at the closed classroom doors around her, feeling small and lost. Suddenly, the red-hot rage that had sustained her all day was doused by an overwhelming wave of sadness. _She was alone._

Unable to stomach the thought of losing it in the middle of the school, Julie sprinted for the nearest exit. Her surroundings were a blur until she practically slammed into the metal doors, crashing her way outside. She took a few steps before doubling over on her knees, gasping for breath. She squeezed her eyes shut, focused on nothing more than the air going in and out of her lungs. It was breezy, the warm wind blowing her hair around, a few wayward curls tickling her face. The sensation helped to ground her, and she finally opened her eyes, the panic receding as she stood. The door creaked open behind her. Julie stiffened at the noise. The hair on the back of her neck felt electrified, and she didn’t have to hear him speak to know who it was. A throat cleared.

“You um...you dropped this.”

She heard fabric rustling, the soft _swoosh_ of what must be his arm lifting. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, the frustration she’d been thriving on all day creeping in at the edges. She clung to it like a lifeline as she turned to meet his puppy dog eyes.

“What, are you stalking me or something?!”

Her voice was hoarse, not as strong or snappy as she had intended. She balled her hands into tight fists at her sides, ready to verbally attack as she leaned forward waiting for him to respond. He didn’t say anything, eyes soft as he looked down to where his hand was outstretched holding... _her hat._ Her hands flew to her head, landing on hair instead of the trusty ballcap she had kept perched there for the last year. So that’s how her curls had gotten loose earlier. Heat rose again, burning its way up from her chest to her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She snatched it out of his hands, shoving it back on her head with more force than necessary.

“Thanks.”

“Sure thing. You, uh, bolted outta there pretty quick. Everything okay?”

She watched him bob slightly, like he couldn’t stop moving for even a second. His voice was melodic, somehow everything he said sounding like he was on the verge of bursting into song. In another life, she probably would have been charmed by him. Not in this life though.

“Fine. Looks like I’m done with school for the day I guess.”

She practically sneered at him. Something about his gentle prodding scratched at her. Everyone knew she was a disaster. Everyone knew she was out of the music program, a washed up has been before she had been able to even make it in the first place. He didn’t need to use the kid gloves with her.

“Oh yeah, I forgot you usually have...”

He trailed off, eyes downcast, hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. She glared, not even noticing that he somehow knew her schedule.

“Yeah. _Usually._ Not anymore. So.”

He rocked back on his heels, hands shoved in his jean pockets, arms flexing in an unfairly aggressive display of hotness. His eyes were still looking at her with that same gentle expression. Like he _cared._ Her fingertips itched and she realized with a start that she desperately wanted to grab her keyboard and pound out an angry ballad about this...this too nice _fuckboy_ with a pretty face...and she could see the notes forming now and she could practically feel the smooth chill of the keys under her fingers and...she staggered backwards.

What the hell was _that?!_ Her heart raced, adrenaline spiking. _Oh no._ _No no no._ She couldn’t want to play for this dumb boy. She hadn’t been able to play for her dad or her brother. She hadn’t been able to play for Flynn, hadn’t been able to play for her _mother._ She couldn’t even play for herself! What kind of special magic did Lucas _freaking_ Patterson possess that made her want to play again? It wasn’t fair.

“I gotta go.”

She swerved around him, reaching for the school doors. They held fast, locked from the inside. Her shoulders slumped. _Just her luck._

“Hey, Julie?”

She didn’t answer, but it didn’t stop him.

“I’m really sorry about your mom. She was an incredible songwriter. You are too.”

The last part was said quietly but Julie heard it anyway. She couldn’t help but scoff as she turned to face him again. He stood perfectly still this time.

“How would you know that?”

His eyes, still so soft, crinkled a bit at the edges. Not a full smile, but she could tell he wanted to. Without breaking their stare down, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a worn, folded square of paper. Her gaze dipped, eyes widening. Her breath caught in her throat. _It couldn’t be._ He held it out to her.

“I found it last year. In the practice room. I know I should have given it to you earlier, but there was never a right time. I’m sorry.”

Julie’s vision swam. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she reached out to take the paper he offered.

“I thought...I tried to...”

“I know.”

His voice was the sweetest croon as his fingers closed around hers, tucking the sheet music safely into her palm.

“I went back the next day, but...it was gone.”

“I’m so sorry. God, I should have had Alex give it to Flynn or something.”

“No.” She locked her eyes on his once more. “It wasn’t the right time.”

He gave her a small smile, bouncing just a bit on the balls of his feet again. And then, as if understanding that she needed this moment to herself, he bit his lower lip, gave her a tiny nod and disappeared around the side of the building. Julie closed her eyes for a moment, clutching the papers to her chest.

Last year, in a fit of heartbroken rage and unable to express herself through music like she had for her entire life, Julie had locked herself in the practice room after school and thrown an all-out tantrum. She had screamed herself sick, cried until she couldn’t breathe, and in a final outburst of uncontrollable emotion, trashed the last song that she had written with her mother, finished just days before she took her last breath. It had been satisfying in the moment. A vow to give up the part of herself that was made up of her mother, cut the pain off at the source so to speak. She had regretted it the instant she woke up the next morning, but it was too late. By the time she got to school, the first student on campus even, the practice room had already been cleaned. The hollowed out, empty feeling of loss that had followed had been gut wrenching. The realization that she had thrown the last connection to her mother in the _garbage_ left a gaping hole in her heart. It had been a fitting punishment that Julie had never even gotten to play the final product. A fitting punishment that she would never play anything again.

Luke had just changed all of that. He had given her that piece of her heart back. Fingers trembling, she unfolded the pages. She traced the looping letters of her mother’s familiar handwriting, following the notes up and down the bars, the melody playing in her head as she read. At the very end, a final message she had missed before:

_Julie, you can do it._

_Love, Mom_

It felt like coming home. Pages clutched to her heart once more, Julie leaned against the building, raised her face to the sky, and wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eek I love this chapter! This is where things really start to pick up, and every chapter after this just brings me more and more joy. Also, writing this was super cathartic. I listened to Wake Up on repeat and quite literally cried the whole time. This was also the chapter that inspired me to write this fic from Luke's POV as well so once Julie's side is finished I'll start publishing Luke's.
> 
> I hope you're all having a good start to your new year and are staying safe/healthy!<3


	4. Halfway Between Day Two & Day Three

Later that night, long after her father and Carlos had gone to bed, Julie crept out to her mom’s studio. She knew she was going to have to tell her dad about the music program eventually. She was shocked her Tía hadn’t beat her to it already. She needed something positive to offset the disappointment he would feel. Her dad had been gently prodding her to go out to the studio and at least maybe clean it up a bit for weeks now. He would love this improvement, that is, if she could work up the nerve to actually play. Sheet music clutched in her numb hands, she wrenched the studio door open. It was exactly as she remembered it.

Her eyes slipped shut as she stepped inside. She didn’t need to look to know where the couch, coffee table, and chairs would be gathered. She knew exactly how to avoid bumping into the ladder leading up to the loft. Her hand reached out just in time to catch on the fabric covering the piano, Julie allowing her fingers to lead her down the side of it until her pinky brushed a key. One soft note rang out, and her eyes opened, staring down at where she pressed lightly on the white key.

Her feet moved on their own, skirting around the bench, her knees bending automatically as she lowered herself to sit. A tight sensation built in her chest, her breaths picking up speed. The sheet music shook as she forced herself to lift the pages and spread them out on the music rack. She arranged the piece in the correct order, wasting time as she avoided touching the keys for now. Her eyes traced over the song again, her mind showing her exactly how her hands would dance along the instrument, exactly how her voice would reverberate in the silent space. Her gaze snagged on her mom’s final message once more.

_You can do it._

Warmth blossomed in her chest, replacing the cold, lifeless feeling that had lingered there for the last year. Julie felt it all at once. Her mother’s love shining off of the pages in front of her, filling up all of the empty spaces inside of her. She could hear her voice, whispering those words in her ear. Tears sprang to her eyes again, but they were different this time.

Julie had thought that she would never be able to play without her mother because she never had. Every defining moment of Julie’s life was underscored by a soundtrack mastered by the one and only Rose Molina. She had thought that without her mother, the music would fall flat. Had thought it would be meaningless without the significance her mother specifically attached to it. Julie never realized until this moment that she had been the soundtrack to her mother’s life as well. The two of them, the soundtrack to her brother and father’s lives. It hadn’t only been Julie suffering for the last year.

A new type of determination surging through her veins, Julie placed her hands on the cool keys, lining her fingers up with the opening notes. Her mother deserved to be remembered like this, her music recognized and loved by more than just Julie. She would have hated the fact that Julie hadn’t played in so long, would have given her that sad smile, that soft, disappointed _mija_ sigh. Her family deserved to come out of the silence she had forced upon them. They deserved to enjoy music the way they always had before Rose died. It was cruel the way she had taken it away from them. And Julie herself deserved this moment too. She had been punished long enough. Her mother’s love overwhelming everything else, Julie took a deep breath and began to play.

_Here’s the one thing I want you to know_

_You got someplace to go_

_Life’s a test, yes_

_But you go toe-to-toe_

_You don’t give up, no_

_You grow_

The opening was shaky, her fingers clumsy as they stumbled over the unfamiliar notes. Her voice cracked a bit, rusty from disuse. But then muscle memory took over, and Julie felt the tension drain from her body. Her fingers began to move with a mind of their own as she read the notes on the pages in front of her, voice smoothing out as she worked out the frogs. She made it through the pre-chorus easily enough, but the chorus hit her harder than expected. Like her mother was giving her permission to forgive herself for all of the hurt of the last year, reminding her that it’s who you are at your core that matters most. Telling her she still has the time to pull herself out of this spiral. That old message about how the music was always bigger than just the two of them coaxing her out of the shell she had hidden herself away in for the last year.

_Better wake those demons_

_Just look them in the eye_

_No reason not to try_

_Life can be a mess_

_I won’t let it cloud my mind_

_I’ll let my fingers fly_

Her fingers really were flying. She couldn’t even really feel the keys anymore, so sure as she pressed down against the ivory that she didn’t even have to look at the sheet music. Her eyes closed; head lifted as she belted the pre-chorus into the sky. The chorus hit again, but she was ready for it this time, emotion powering every line as she poured her heart and soul into each note. Visions of her mother filled her mind and Julie could practically feel the warmth of her love radiating throughout the studio. She glanced down to read lines for the bridge and the words hit her like a sledgehammer. Like a secret letter from her mother written exactly for this specific moment.

_So, wake that spirit, spirit_

_I wanna hear it, hear it_

_No need to fear it, you’re not alone_

_You’re gonna find your way home_

Her voice rang out pure and clear as she held the word as long as she could. _Home._ She really was home now. Here, in her mom’s familiar studio, playing the last song her mother’s hands touched, Julie was finally home again. The sense of rightness filled her completely as she finished the last round of the chorus. Her hands dropped from the keys, reaching out to gather the papers to her chest once more, the most precious treasure she had ever touched. Eyes closed, basking in the afterglow of playing, she imagined her mother’s spirit behind her, ghostly arms wrapping her in the sweetest hug. Julie shivered against the electricity coursing through her system. She felt _alive_ again. An unexpected clatter sounded from the doorway. Julie’s eyes popped open, expecting Carlos or her father to walk through the doors. Nobody appeared, but she caught the tail end of a muffled curse. It was just loud enough to send a ripple of awareness through her.

“I can hear you, you know.”

She already knew who it was. She expected him to beat a hasty retreat, maybe yell something out in a horribly disguised voice before he melted into the shadows. Without warning, he appeared in the doorway, shoulders raised and a sheepish smile on his face. His eyes darted around the studio, refusing to meet hers. Her mouth fell open. _Where did he keep coming from?_

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you, I just...I heard you playing?”

He said it like a question, an unsure tone she’d never heard him use before coloring his tone. She stared at him, mesmerized by the way his bicep flexed as his hand rose to scratch at the back of his neck. That seemed to be his nervous tick. His body language told her he wished he was anywhere else right now. Then she glanced at the clock.

“What the hell are you doing creeping around my house at 1:00 in the morning?”

Luke’s cheeks turned bright red. The tips of his ears, peeking out of that same orange beanie, colored too.

“I’m not creeping!”

Julie met his gaze steadily, raising a brow at his defensive declaration.

“I uhhh, I just...I don’t really sleep? Or...well I guess...I don’t really have a _place_ to sleep...sometimes...?”

His voice trailed off, uncomfortable in every sense of the word as he stammered his way through his explanation.

“My parents and I don’t always get along. Sometimes it’s easier to tell them I’ll crash somewhere else, only there isn’t always a somewhere else available.”

He shrugged, careless and cocky, but it was off. Everything about him was off right now.

“I make do. It’s no biggie, just gives me more time to soak in that club scene. Gotta stay one step ahead of the competition, ya know? It’s like a blessing really, gives us that edge.”

His rambling words painted a picture she was sure he would rather keep private. It didn’t take a genius to read between the lines. She didn’t buy his cavalier attitude for a minute. He was lying through his teeth. She knew. She had been lying for a year straight to practically everyone in her life, had nearly rotted her teeth through with all the saccharine sweetness she had faked. Her lips twisted in a sour smirk.

“You’re full of shit, but whatever. That couch pulls out into a mattress. You’ve gotta be gone by 6:30, that’s when my dad wakes up for work.”

“What?”

The squeakiest note yet. Julie looked Luke square in the eyes. That same intense energy from the other day sparked between them. The moment stretched on a beat too long. Julie gulped and forced herself to soften her tone. It was easier than expected.

“Stay here for the night, Luke. I’m not gonna ask about your parents, and no one is going to bother you in my mom’s studio. Sleep on the pull-out couch. There’s a bathroom in the back. It even has a shower and I think there’s still some soap in there though I can’t promise it isn’t floral scented. You can disappear in the morning and we won’t ever speak of this again.”

He stared at her, blue-green sea glass eyes cutting through to her very soul. She didn’t respond, letting the silence stretch and morph into something entirely too intimate. The tension between them pulled taut, Luke’s gentle smile breaking the moment as he took a few shy steps into the studio. Julie ducked her head, tucking a few loose curls behind her ear, before she moved to meet him in the middle of the room, gracefully spinning around his body so her back was pressed against the doors. One of those strong hands reached up to scratch at his neck again.

“Thank you.”

The words were a quiet whisper, almost as sweet as when he returned the song to her earlier. She could hear everything he left unsaid with those two words. _Thank you for not asking. Thank you for giving me a safe space. Thank you for caring._ Unable to help herself, she bit her lip, gave him a small nod, and ducked out of the doors in a near perfect recreation of his response outside of school that afternoon.

Heart a little lighter, she snuck her way inside silently. It wasn’t until she was safely tucked away in the darkness of her bedroom that she dared peek out the window at the studio. The lights were off, but Julie swore she could make out a shadowy figure peering through the windows up at her room. She dropped her curtain like it was on fire, diving into bed and burying her head under the pillows. Heart racing, she laid with her eyes closed and tried to convince herself that Lucas freaking Patterson wasn’t slowly making himself a home in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyric are from "Wake Up" by Madison Reyes (aka Julie and The Phantoms)
> 
> Yes, I did cry again while writing this chapter. Get ready cause Luke only gets softer and softer from here on out. Sometimes he's so gooey I have to literally take a moment to pause and breathe while writing lol


	5. Day Three: Part 1

Julie didn’t expect to see Luke the next day. When her alarm went off at 6:45 that morning, she woke up with a start, heart racing as memories of last night flooded back. She had been ready to defend herself _~~and Luke~~_ to her father, but it had been business as usual in the Molina household. Her father had gotten up like normal and gone about his morning without any hiccups from a very cute, very unexpected teenage boy showing up. Julie could hear him leaving for work now, calling out a loving goodbye to her in between shouts at Carlos to hurry his butt into the car. When she peeked out of her window at the studio it looked exactly the same as it always did, empty and still. For a moment, she was sure that she dreamed the entire thing. 

Something felt different in her soul though. Realigned, like a part of her she didn’t realize was missing had finally made its way back home. Everything in her body felt lighter as she got dressed and floated down the stairs to fix her breakfast. She was riding high on cloud nine, humming - _actually humming!_ \- under her breath as she moved around the kitchen, when a loud rap at the back door startled her. Flynn would have just walked in so it couldn’t be her. Her dad, too, would have simply run inside if he had forgotten something. It wasn’t until she was already reaching for the door handle that she recognized the electricity sparking in the air. She opened the door to a now familiar pair of puppy dog eyes waiting on the other side.

“I thought I told you to leave by 6:30 so my dad wouldn’t see you.”

Julie tried to make her voice snappy, but it was so hard when he was standing there looking like that. Bobbing and weaving in the early morning sunshine, eyes shining, lips curved into the sweetest smile. He took her words in stride. His smile stretched as his head dipped with a charming amount of bashfulness. She realized with a jolt that he had been doing that for days now, ever since she ran into him after her meeting with Ms. Harrison. Just rolling right through every punch she threw at him like it was nothing. Her walls slipped a little lower.

“I thought I could make you breakfast. Ya know, as a thank you for last night.”

Her brain short circuited. _Luke Patterson...wanted to...make her breakfast?_ She had to turn the words over in her mind a few times before they began to make sense. Julie studied him for a moment, noticing that he seemed much more like his normal, confident self this morning. Gone was the unsteady boy that had stood in her mom’s studio doorway last night. Still, one shoulder was hitched a little higher than the other, his fingers flexing against the backpack strap slung over it. His face was open and eager, but she could detect the hint of nervousness that he was trying to cover up. She caught a faint whiff of jasmine as a slight breeze blew past them and immediately zeroed in on the damp wisps of hair curling around his neck. The thought of Luke in her shower, using her soap, was almost her undoing. Desperately trying to get a hold on the situation, she leaned against the open doorway, crossing her arms over her chest in what she hoped was a nonchalant movement.

“I thought we were going to pretend last night didn’t happen.”

His smile faltered a little bit, his free hand flying up to scratch at the back of his neck. His bouncing shifted to rocking, and Julie felt the change in his demeanor like a punch to her gut.

“Yeah...okay...I mean if that’s what you want. I’ll uh, see you around, Molina.”

His voice lacked its typical singsong quality, rejection flattening the lilt she had become accustomed to. Pain blossomed in Julie’s chest, familiar and foreign all at the same time. It wasn’t like the pain she was used to, wasn’t connected to her mom or her music. This pain was all about Luke and the fact that she had just hurt him for no reason at all. Shame rolled through her stomach in a nauseous wave. Luke was already adjusting the bag higher on his shoulder, turning away from her, body language all but screaming _“leave me alone”_. It didn’t stop her from reaching out and laying a hand against his shoulder.

“Luke.”

His name was a plea and an apology rolled into one. She felt the ripple of his muscles as his body reacted to it, dropping her hand only when he turned to face her. Their eyes caught, the air sparking between them.

“What were you going to make?”

His brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes never leaving hers. She knew she had to do better, but God, it was hard to face your feelings after bottling them up for so long.

“For breakfast. I usually just grab a Pop-Tart to eat on my walk to school. Do you actually cook every morning?”

Luke was still staring. Julie bit her lip, the tail end of a nervous giggle that she couldn’t quite suppress all the way slipping out. The sound seemed to jolt him out of whatever trance he was in. In two seconds, he was back to bouncing on the balls of his feet, arms loose at his sides once more. 

“Yeah, I do.”

The shy smile on his lips did something to Julie’s insides that she wasn’t willing to investigate just yet.

“Usually eggs, but sometimes waffles or pancakes on the weekends. Bacon if the boys are coming over. It’s the most important meal of the day, ya know.”

His eyes were bright again, practically glowing like they usually did when he started talking about something he was passionate about. Julie had only ever seen him like this when he was going off on another music related rant in class. _Who knew breakfast foods could be so inspiring?_

“Well, that sounds a lot better than strawberry Pop-Tarts.”

She turned, leaving the door open as she started to walk back towards the kitchen. She could hear Luke hesitate in the doorway, but all it took was one look over her shoulder and he was rushing in after her, quietly closing the door in his wake. They walked to the kitchen in silence, Julie trying to figure out what the hell was happening in her head and heart the entire time. 

The instant Luke entered the kitchen it was like she was seeing a completely different side of him. He was quick and sure with all of his movements, taking only a few minutes to find everything he needed without even asking her for guidance. The muscles of his forearm rippled as he whisked the eggs together, the flick of his wrist just as mesmerizing now as it was when he played guitar. His confidence on stage had always been awe-inspiring, the way he moved and the energy he gave off undeniably cool and sure, never an ounce of doubt that he was anything other than amazing. It was a way for him to prove he was the best of the best, show that he had fully earned the title of “Rockstar”. 

This moment in her sunny kitchen showed a quieter confidence. Nothing flashy or showy, just Luke doing something he clearly enjoyed for no other reason than the fact that he liked it. The rock god attitude had always been surface-level hot, sure, but this kind of domestic comfortability was an entirely new level of attractive. Julie felt her mouth go dry, the tips of her ears growing warm the longer she watched him. He hummed under his breath, the sound reverberating in her soul and sending little shivers up and down her spine. It wasn’t until he was sliding a plate of steaming scrambled eggs and toast in front of her that she finally recognized the melody. Her breath caught, and he met her eyes with a gentle expression.

“I told you already, it’s an incredible song.”

He grabbed his own plate and lowered himself into the chair next to hers at the bar. He immediately began shoveling eggs in his mouth. Julie took a few bites of her own food, pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Then, an ugly thought took over her brain. She dropped her fork, turning to stare at Luke with a dark intensity she couldn’t control.

“Did you...did you _play_ my mom’s song?”

She couldn’t keep the betrayal out of her voice. It echoed in the room, low and hollow, like the sound of tomb closing. Luke’s own fork fell with a clatter. 

“Julie, no.”

His voice was just as desperate, filled with pain and apology. 

“I swear to you, no. I wouldn’t do that. I knew what it was as soon as I found it. I couldn’t hurt you like that. I never even showed it to Reggie or Alex.”

She believed him. The look on his face, the tone of his voice, proved to her that he wasn’t lying. Then, his cheeks turned a very light pink.

“I just...sometimes...I would read it. Not around the guys.” 

He was quick to add that part in there, like he was assuring her he could protect the things that were important to her. Like he was promising to protect _her._ She could tell he was a little uncomfortable with the revelation, but he pushed through anyway.

“Just like...at night before bed...or when I was stuck on a song and needed some inspiration.” 

His eyes rose to meet hers, some tender emotion she couldn’t identify lurking in their oceanic depths. 

“I meant it when I said you’re an incredible songwriter. Sometimes...” 

His cheeks darkened, ears flaming red to match. 

“Sometimes...it was almost like I could hear you playing it.”

The last part was said so quietly she almost missed it. She felt her face go slack. _Who was this guy and what had he done with the normal, cocky Lucas Patterson?_ The gentleness of his words, the way his eyes were drilling into hers like he could see all the way down to the depths of her soul, had her blinking against the sudden emotion clogging her throat.

“Last night was the first time I ever played it.”

The confession sprung from her lips without second thought. She had to do something, anything to break whatever tension seemed to be thickening between them with each passing second. Luke tilted his head, another warm smile gracing his lips.

“You were even more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. You’re like a human wrecking ball, Julie. It’s insane how talented you are.”

_So much for breaking the tension._ Julie sucked in a breath, her heart stuttering in her chest. It was only then that she realized how close their bodies had become, each one leaning farther into the other as their conversation went on. There were only inches between them now, Luke’s lyrical voice curling into her ear with a delicious intimacy she couldn’t help but crave. If she got any closer to him their foreheads would touch, their nose would brush, their lips would...

And just like that she was on the ground, her backside stinging from slamming into the hardwood so abruptly. Luke blinked down at her, eyes still swimming with that damnable affection, but also tinged with confusion. In her desperate attempt to bail, she must have leaned too far back, falling off the barstool before she could even realize what would happen. She shook her head to clear the spell Luke had been spinning before looking past him to the clock on the oven.

“We should probably leave for school now, unless we want to be late.”

She ignored the breathy way her voice came out, pushing herself to a standing position. Without making eye contact, she wove her way around Luke. He was like a block of ice in his chair, still poised to lean into her completely. She scooped up their half-eaten breakfasts, plopping them loudly into the sink before slipping her arms through her backpack straps. Nowhere left to hide, she turned back towards the brunette boy. 

He stared at her for a long moment, the hot frustration in his gaze burning through her and making her want to squirm. For a second, she thought he was going to push it, but then his eyes closed for what felt like an eternity. When they opened again, he seemed resigned. She could detect just a hint of his previous fiery intensity, the rest of it shrouded behind an almost forlorn veil of acceptance. 

“If that’s what you want.”

There was a deeper meaning to his words that Julie wasn’t prepared for. Her breathing faltered, the silence between them heavy with the things he was leaving unsaid. She almost gave in. Almost asked him just what, exactly, _he_ wanted right now. But she didn’t need to ask him because she could read it plain on his face. It terrified her. And Julie had become an expert at avoiding things that scared her in this past year. So, instead, she gave him a tight nod and zipped out the front door to wait for him outside.

In the clear sunshine of another beautiful LA day, she was finally able to breathe again. Out here, away from the thick tension of the kitchen, it was easier to tell herself Luke was just being nice. Easier to pretend their little moment inside was just some friendly banter. Easier to ignore the implications of Luke’s serious words and caring tone. She gulped in deep breaths, willing her head and heart to cool down. She heard the _click_ of the door latching shut behind her, turned to see Luke standing there, a small pout on his lips, face entirely unrepentant. _~~Good lord she was in trouble.~~_ Suddenly, a realization hit. She clung to it, desperately hoping it would get them back on a more neutral page, pull them out of whatever had been simmering between them all morning.

“Where’s your car? I know you didn’t drive over here last night.”

Luke’s face changed immediately, chagrin taking over every feature. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he shoved his hands in the front of his jeans.

“I uh...I only live a few houses away from you...”

Now it was Julie’s turn to gape like a fish. _Luke Patterson was her neighbor?_ _Since when?_

“My parents...we moved to the neighborhood a couple years ago. I...uhm well...” 

His hand rose again to scratch at his neck, and she had never wanted to grab at him more than in that moment. That movement was slowly beginning to drive her crazy. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and blurted it out in one garbled sentence.

“Iusedtohidearoundthecornerandlistentoyouandyourmomplayinthestudiopleasedon’thateme.”

Julie was so stunned she nearly tumbled off the top step as she staggered backwards. Only Luke’s quick reflexes saved her from falling flat on her back for the second time that morning. His eyes darted around her face, clearly trying to figure out if she was about to lose it on him or not. Julie struggled to process the information dump she had gotten from Luke in the last couple of days. All of her preconceived notions were slowly being proven wrong, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with that. Life was easier when Luke was just another selfish, swaggering upperclassman. How long had she been in his orbit? Years it sounded like. The realization was staggering. 

“You...you listened to us play? Why?”

Luke still had his hands wrapped around her wrists. Julie couldn’t find it in her to break the connection. Her voice came out more broken than she intended, memories of sunlit days singing with her mom invading her mind. _Luke remembered those days too?_

“Haven’t you been listening?” 

His voice was strained, his eyes boring into hers like he was trying to telepathically force her to understand. His fingers flexed against her skin, the movement causing a flurry of butterflies to erupt in her stomach.

“You’re a star, Julie Molina. I couldn’t help getting sucked into your orbit.”

Julie felt her eyelids flutter, her chest squeezing like it was going to burst from the rapid inhale/exhale she couldn’t seem to calm. He said her name like a prayer, his lips turning it into something holy and sacred. She was drowning in Luke’s gaze, a riot of emotions swirling around in her brain. Somehow, because he was Luke and apparently he knew her better than she ever expected him to, he could tell that his declaration had gone a little too far. Easing back, he released his hold and rocked away from her just a bit to give her the space she so desperately needed. His eyes were still impossibly soft, bordering on adoration as he watched her come to terms with his bold announcement. Finally, once Julie was pretty sure she had come back down to Earth, he jogged down the front steps.

“We can still drive if you want to, but I think it’s a pretty nice morning for a walk if you’re up for it.”

“Okay.”

It felt like the smallest possible acceptance she could offer him, but the way Luke lit up in response made her want to melt. Head still swimming, she made her way down the steps on shaky baby deer legs. Luke didn’t push, just fell into step with her as easy as pie. Every once in a while, his fingers would brush against her hand, and it took every scrap of will power to keep herself from just reaching out and linking their hands together. 

They passed a house bursting with flowers out front. Julie’s eyes caught on an explosion of bright red in the corner of the yard. _Dahlias._ Her mother’s favorite. It felt like a sign, and another part of Julie’s soul slipped quietly back into place. The next time Luke’s hand knocked against hers she shyly allowed their fingers to tangle. She didn’t need to look to see the smile break out on his face. She could feel the warmth of it filling the air around her like her own personal sun. He squeezed just once. Just enough to acknowledge the move for what it was. She didn’t let go until the school appeared in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've officially made it to Day Three! This day has the most parts to it, fair warning. I'm also almost caught up with everything I have pre-written so updates will start to slow down after the next few chapters. 
> 
> Side note, this is probably my favorite Luke chapter so far, he's just so adorably soft and it makes me MELT.


	6. Day Three: Part 2

Once they were close enough to risk running into other students, Julie dropped Luke’s hand. She made a point of ignoring the frown he gave her, using her now free hand to reach up and adjust her hat. Only, her hat wasn’t there. Her hands landed on loose, untamed curls instead and she immediately turned to Luke with a small amount of panic already building in her chest. He gave her a funny look, and then seemed to notice her hair and somehow understood completely. His hands reached up to lower hers. He let his grasp linger for just a moment before letting go, leaving her hands to dangle limply at her sides. Only his gaze held her in place.

“I never really liked that hat. Your hair is too pretty to cover up like that.”

He said it like a fact. _The sky is blue, the sun is hot, your hair is too pretty to cover up._ Julie felt a swell of emotions rise again, threatening to overwhelm her. But then he was off towards the front of the school throwing a very casual, _“You coming?”_ over his shoulder at her. She raced to catch up, emotions beaten back for the time being.

They joined the surge of bodies filtering through the front doors. Alex and Reggie stood off to the side inside the entryway of the school. It was impossible to miss the tall blonde in his light pink sweatshirt standing next to the shorter boy in leather. Luke didn’t hesitate to weave his way over to them, but Julie hung back. She wasn’t really sure what was going on between them, wasn’t sure if she felt comfortable enough to just tag along behind him. She caught sight of Flynn’s hot pink beanie bouncing in the distance and let out a sigh of relief. She could separate from Luke here, talk to Flynn, get some perspective on this whole situation.

Luke glanced back at her then. She saw the question in his eyes, felt her heart race when he gave a little side nod like he was inviting her to join him. She swallowed and gave him a half-hearted smile before jerking her thumb over her shoulder in Flynn’s direction. He frowned, but she was already turning away. She pretended she didn’t hear him call her name, slipping into the crowd of students, letting it swallow her up so she could disappear from his sight. Eyes locked on Flynn’s back she moved farther away from the Sunset Curve boys. Flynn only jumped a little when Julie snuck up behind her.

“Jesus, Jules! You scared the shit out of me!”

Her best friend’s familiar voice washed over her like a comforting blanket. All at once, Julie was word vomiting the entire night.

“Flynn, oh my God. He had Mom’s song and he saved it for like, a whole year, and then he gave it to me yesterday, and _holy shit_ I forgot how beautiful it is. And you’re not gonna believe this but I played, like I actually played the piano and sang, and it was like homecoming, it was like the biggest rush, like my mom was _right there_ in the studio with me. And then, oh my god, now you’re _really_ not gonna believe this, but oh my god, then _Luke freaking Patterson_ showed up out of nowhere and he uh might have stayed on the pull-out couch, and then he uhm he made me breakfast this morning? And we walked here together?? He was like...doing this thing where his eyes were going all starry and soft and he was saying really sweet things and it was...a lot, and I really don’t know what’s going on with that but uhm I’m kinda freaking out. Anyway, hey good morning, how are you?”

If Flynn’s mouth opened any wider Julie thought she might unhinge her jaw. In a sea of bustling students, it felt like they were in a bubble all their own. She anxiously fiddled with the bracelets on her wrists as she watched the gears turn behind her best friend’s eyes. After a full two minutes of silence, Flynn’s hand flew out to latch onto Julie’s bicep. Without a word she dragged her down the hallway and into an empty practice room. Flynn released her grip, Julie rubbing at her arm, _jeez Flynn was strong!_ , while the other girl closed the door and flipped on the light that indicated the room was in use. She whirled around, her eyes drilling into Julie’s.

“You’re gonna start at the beginning of that whole mess of truth bombs and spill every last detail about exactly what happened with Luke ‘freaking’ Patterson. Right now. Starting with the bit about your mom’s song.”

Julie took a deep breath and slowly walked Flynn through the events of the last few days, from the moment she had run into Luke after her meeting with Ms. Harrison to when she ran away from him this morning as he was calling her name. Distantly, she was aware of the bell ringing, but it was only homeroom anyway. What did that matter when she was having an existential crisis? Flynn’s mouth only hung open a little bit by the time she was finished telling the story again. Julie felt her shoulders slump. What an emotional rollercoaster. Flynn was quiet for a long moment. Then, she smirked at Julie with a knowing look in her eyes.

“Hmph. Looks like my girl’s got a crush, and his name is _Luke._ I cannot believe you’ve been holding out on me like this!”

She was teasing, her tone light with a little bit of a mocking sing-song quality to it. But Julie could hear the undercurrent of worry running through her words. She had become quite adept at detecting that particular vocal quality in the last year. She sighed.

“Whatever. Can we focus on the more important revelation that I played the piano and sang again?”

Flynn, best friend that she was, gracefully allowed the subject change.

“Jules, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you! How did you feel? Alive again?”

Julie laughed, the sound feeling easy and light as it left her chest.

“Yeah, actually, that’s exactly how I felt. It was...honestly, it felt magical. It really did feel like my mom was there with me. There was this sense of peace that just felt...”

She shivered, remembering the sensation of ghostly arms around her shoulders.

“I can’t really describe it. But it was like something just clicked, and I realized that the best way to remember my mom and honor her is through music. The music we made together and the music I’ll make in the future. Rose Molina’s musical legacy will live on in me, and that feels pretty special.”

She couldn’t keep the smile from her face or the happiness from her voice. Peace really had been found out in that studio last night. Julie felt more ready than ever to move out of the darkness she’d kept wrapped around her like a shield for the last year.

“That’s beautiful.”

Flynn pulled Julie into her arms, the two girls sharing a long hug. The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom, before either girl could say anything more. They left the practice room together, splitting up when they reached their respective classroom doors. Julie swallowed thickly as she settled herself in the back of her Calculus class. This was one of the classes she shared with Luke, although she had conveniently forgotten that fact until the moment she sat down at her desk. He appeared in the doorway within seconds, giving her no chance to properly prepare herself. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he started to make a beeline for the desk next to hers before their teacher caught him.

“Patterson! You know the deal.”

Not even Luke’s best pout could win over Ms. May. She simply raised a brow and pointed at the seat he had been assigned at the front of the classroom. Julie let out a small sigh of relief. It was hard not to smile at Luke’s dramatics as he slumped over and slowly shuffled his way to his desk. He dropped into his seat with a loud huff, glancing over his shoulder at Julie with a forlorn expression. She rolled her eyes, smothering her smirk behind her hand. The bell rang again, and he turned his attention to the front of the room as Ms. May called the class to order.

He didn’t stop sneaking looks back at her the entire class period though. It made her want to squirm in her seat every time she dared peek at him and caught him watching her in return. He would always give her one of those soft, sweet smiles and then turn back to his work. It was unsettling, especially when she thought of how he hadn’t paid much attention to her in this particular class before today. Although, now that she _really_ thought about it, maybe he had. Julie had basically been living in a fog of grief for the last year. The school could have caught on fire and she probably wouldn’t have noticed it until her clothes were burning.

She was almost grateful when one of the front desk aides appeared in the door to their classroom. Kayla made direct eye contact with her before knocking on the door frame to get Ms. May’s attention.

“Julie Molina is needed in the office.”

A tense silence fell over the classroom. Every single student remembered the last time Julie had been called down to the office in the middle of a class. Even Ms. May’s eyes flickered with pity for a moment before she gave Julie a gentle smile and nod. Julie stood slowly, forcing herself to keep her breath even as she gathered her books and papers into her backpack. 22 pairs of eyes watched her slowly make her way to the front of the room. One pair burned hotter than the others. Julie met Luke’s eyes for the smallest fraction of a second. Just long enough to see the concern rise up in them. Then she was out the door, walking the uncomfortably familiar path to the front office.

“It’s Lessa. And I think your dad.”

Kayla’s quiet voice startled her. She looked to her left, surprised to find the other girl keeping pace with her. Julie had thought she would walk ahead or peel off to deliver other messages. Instead, she got a small but genuine smile.

“Look, I know things are weird because of the Carrie thing, but I just didn’t want you to freak out too much. Frankly, I think Lessa’s kinda a bitch to pull you out of class like that. She’s an idiot if she doesn’t remember...well anyway. It’s something school related, not like...a family thing.”

Kayla briefly squeezed her bicep, almost like she wished she could give Julie a hug. Then she was off down a separate hallway, waving the stack of messages in her hand at Julie as a goodbye. Julie watched her go for a second, feeling off balance and surprisingly emotional. Kayla was a Dirty Candy girl. In the battle lines that had been drawn between Julie and Carrie, Kayla’s position was as obvious as Flynn’s. For all intents and purposes, she shouldn’t be looking out for Julie, and yet, she was anyway. Julie wondered how many small protective moments she had missed from her classmates in the last year. Maybe she hadn’t been quite as alone as she had always felt. She took a deep breath and finished the walk to the front office, a little more ready to face what was on the other side.

Knowing it was school related and that her dad had been called down sent a shiver of apprehension down her spine for a different reason. It had to be something about the music program. Not for the first time, Julie regretted keeping it from her dad for this long. She was out of time now. At least she could thank the universe for small favors. If it had been her Tía in this meeting, Julie’s life would be over. Her dad was more understanding. They would be able to get through this. Julie forced herself to square her shoulders and enter the office with more confidence than she felt. Her mom’s words echoed in her mind: _you can do it_. It was all the strength she needed.

At least until the door to Principal Lessa’s office was closing behind her, and she was face-to-face with her heartbroken father.

“Julie. Take a seat, please.”

Lessa’s voice lacked its usual bite. She just sounded tired. Julie felt that down to her bones. She slipped into the seat next to her dad without a word.

“I’m going to get right to the point. Two of us,” her eyes narrowed slightly on Julie who shifted in her seat in response, “knew this meeting was coming. The other one of us has now been informed as to why it was called.”

The weight of her father’s stare was crushing her. Julie didn’t have to look to see the disappointment there. It was rolling off of him in tsunami sized waves. Lessa continued talking despite the uncomfortable tension growing in the air.

“Now. We have several options. As you both know, Los Feliz is, at its core, an arts academy. We ask that our students participate in at least one of the arts programs. _Participate_ being the key word there. Julie, it’s clear that participation in our music department isn’t something you’re able to do right now. While we were able to offer you a grace period, we have other students applying for the position you aren’t using. It’s only fair to allow them the chance to participate if you won’t.”

Julie was not going to cry. Not here in front of Principal Lessa and her dad, trapped on school grounds where everyone would see her when she left. She bit the inside of her cheek as hard as she could, letting Lessa’s soft but firm voice wash over her without absorbing anything she was saying. She caught bits and pieces: Lessa offering her a spot in the less desirable subset of illustration in the fine arts department with a chance to reapply for the music department the following semester, her dad requesting information about the new program as well as copies of her transcripts in case they decided to move schools, Lessa’s voice softening as she apologized, her dad’s growing even softer as he thanked her for everything the school had done so far. Then the meeting was wrapping up, and her dad was shaking Lessa’s hand, and Julie was focusing on her backpack so she could _get the_ _hell out of there._ She barely caught the sad smile Lessa gave her as she said, _“Good luck, Julie”_ in that same goodbye tone Ms. Harrison had used on Monday. Julie had never been so desperate for her old hat to hide behind as she was in that moment.

She shuffled along behind her dad. It was obvious the school day was over for Julie. He was quiet as they made their way out of the office and into the empty hallway. Class had been dismissed while they were with Lessa. Julie was thankful there weren’t any other students around to witness her downfall. Her dad almost made it out of the building before rounding on her. Almost.

“I cannot believe you tried to hide this from me! I thought I raised you better than that, _mija._ You’re lucky your Aunt had a work meeting she couldn’t miss. Why didn’t you come to me?”

It was the overwhelming disappointment in her dad’s tone that did Julie in. She had never been able to stomach letting her parents down. If Ray’s voice was any indication, she may have reached the rock bottom of let downs.

“I’m sorry.”

She was. She truly was. She didn’t know why she had kept it from her dad, except that if she had told him then she would have had to admit it was real. She hadn’t wanted to face that reality just yet.

“I just don’t understand, Julie. You still like music, right? Is it the school? We can find a different music program. You don’t have to stay here just because your mom loved it so much.”

Julie opened her mouth to argue that actually that was _exactly_ why she had to stay here, but a different voice cut her off. An annoyingly familiar voice that had her heart racing and her palms sweating.

“Julie!”

She nearly groaned aloud. Never before in her life had Julie wished to disappear as much as she did right now. Just open a hole in the floor and jump right into it. The absolute last thing she needed right now was _Lucas_ _freaking Patterson_ getting in the middle of this dressing down. Hell, she didn’t even want him witnessing it let alone trying to get involved. She clenched her jaw, ignored her dad’s pointedly raised eyebrow, and turned on her heel to meet the teenaged boy that suddenly seemed to be haunting her every step.

“Luke. Hi.”

She kept her voice flat, the ‘ _go away’_ clear in her tone. His steps faltered for a second, but she could tell by the way his shoulders bounced that he wasn’t going to be so easily deterred. She had run away from him this morning and been saved multiple times in Calc. He wasn’t going to let her avoid him anymore. He approached her and her dad with all the cool confidence a 17-year-old boy in a band could muster. Her mouth almost fell open when he bypassed her completely to stick his hand out towards Ray.

“Luke Patterson. You must be Mr. Molina. It’s very nice to meet you, sir.”

His smile was genuine and charming, his lyrical voice all too polite. Julie wanted to scream as she watched her dad fall for it. Could she not have one single embarrassing moment to herself anymore? Was she doomed to play out the moments she came off looking the worst in front of this cute boy for the rest of her life? Her dad’s eyes lit up as he shook Luke’s hand. Julie wished she could bash her head against something.

“Patterson? Mitch and Emily’s boy?”

“Yes, sir.”

Only Julie caught the way his smile tightened, his shoulders raising defensively at the mention of his parents.

“Wow, you’ve grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you! Good people, your parents.”

Julie rolled her eyes at the dad-ness of it all.

“I forgot you were in the music program with Julie...”

She couldn’t help but cringe as her dad’s words trailed off. That statement had been enough to remind him why he was there in the first place. He turned away from Luke to give her another heartbroken look. She hung her head to escape the censure behind his eyes.

“I am. Actually, that’s why I was trying to find Julie! She was late for rehearsal.”

Julie whipped her head up to glare at the boy still bobbing in front of them. He was trying to cover for her not knowing Lessa had blown that opportunity sky high not even 5 minutes ago. It was sweet in a misguided way, but it was also a painful reminder of all the things Luke had that she didn’t.

“He knows I got kicked out. You don’t have to lie for me.”

Her voice was sharp, and she was fully prepared for the kicked puppy look she was sure he would give her, but instead his smile only grew. His bouncing became impossibly springier, like gravity just didn’t apply to him. And then he winked, _actually winked_ , at her.

“Awh, c’mon, Jules!”

His whine was just the right amount of playful, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Her heart did a weird flip in her chest.

“I know it was supposed to be a surprise, but the poor man is clearly suffering! We should let him in on our little secret.”

Julie’s glare intensified as she ignored the way the words _our little secret_ hit the softest part of her heart. _What the hell was he playing at?_ He winked again, something that should be outlawed given the way it made her stomach drop and knees weaken. Then he held up his hands in a half-hearted _‘I give up’_ gesture.

“Okay, okay. You don’t have to tell him about the plan to get you back into the music program if you don’t want to.”

If this were a cartoon, Julie was sure her eyes would have popped out of her skull completely at those words. As it were, she settled on doing everything she could to keep her jaw from dropping. She had absolutely no clue what he was going on about, but he clearly had some sort of agenda. There was a script to this encounter, she just hadn’t been given her lines. She saw her father shift out of the corner of her eye, arms raising to fold across his chest as he took in the scene unfolding between the two teenagers. Luke was still talking, apparently deciding to capitalize on Julie’s stunned silence.

“I just think it would be helpful if he knew about it. Then we wouldn’t have to sneak around so much. I know you wanted to have it be a big reveal, but we can still surprise your aunt!”

Her dad turned to her with a raised brow, confusion and the smallest seeds of hope growing behind his gaze.

_“¿Mija?”_

Julie wanted to punch a locker and also vomit. _What the actual hell was Luke Patterson doing?_ She had no frame of reference for whatever game he was playing. No way of knowing if it was serious or some sort of prank. She looked away from her dad to meet Luke’s eyes. He gave her a small, pleading smile, silently begging her to trust him. His eyes became impossibly gentle and she saw that same boy from the studio last night and the kitchen this morning peeking out at her. Ultimately, it was that intimate reminder of his softer side that made her cave.

“It’s nothing, _Papí._ Just some hair-brained scheme Luke came up with.”

She raised her brow in a challenge, communicating with that one twitch that she wanted to see his endgame here. His face lit up like the 4th of July. She was sure if they had been alone he would have let out a victory whoop. He rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets, biceps flexing in his best cool kid impersonation.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Molina. We’re getting just as much out of this as you are.”

She didn’t have time to snap back that she wasn’t sure she _was_ getting anything out of whatever ‘this’ was before he was plowing ahead.

“See, my band and I lost our fourth member earlier this year, and we have our Junior Showcase coming up, but man, it’s been a serious struggle to find our sound without Bobby, and we really gotta nail this Showcase. It’s like the one where managers scout out who they really wanna pay attention to as a senior, so we gotta be the best.”

Julie saw where he was going with this before he actually got there, but it was too late to stop him. That was what she got for playing along with his stupid game in the first place.

“And see, I finally figured out that what we _really_ need is someone like Julie to elevate us to that level. Your daughter is a freaking wrecking ball of talent, Mr. Molina. It took a lot of begging, but she _finally_ agreed to play with us. There’s _no way_ Lessa won’t put her back in the music program after we play together.”

His grin was a mile wide, pride shining from his pores. He was 100% sure of this plan, she could see it in the way he looked at her. Absolute blind faith. It was as flattering as it was terrifying.

“I see.”

Her dad’s voice was shockingly contemplative. Like he was actually considering supporting this crazy idea. He looked at Luke thoughtfully.

“Do Principal Lessa and Ms. Harrison know about this plan?”

Luke’s hand raised for one quick nervous scratch at the back of his neck. He gave her dad his most charming smile.

“Sometimes you’ve gotta go into ambush mode. Swing that wrecking ball of talent and smash some rules, eh?”

If it were any other parent, that line would have probably been the worst possible thing to say. But this was Ray Molina, whose first date with Rose had involved a small amount of breaking and entering as well as a large amount of running from cop cars and stealing kisses while hiding in alleyways. Rose had never met a rule worth following, and it was part of the reason Ray had fallen in love with her in the first place. Luke had sealed the deal without even really trying. Julie was doomed.

“I like it.”

Ray’s smile was almost as large as Luke’s. It was scary how similar they looked right now, enthusiasm shining in their eyes with an intensity that was borderline maniacal. There would be no getting out of this now.

“Why don’t you boys come over to the house after school? You can practice in our studio.”

Julie didn’t even get a chance to open her mouth before Luke was agreeing. She watched him shake her dad’s hand once again, some weird kind of bonding look passing between the two of them. Her dad wrapped a tight arm around her shoulder, and then turned them both towards the front doors again. Julie cast one final look at Luke over her shoulder, heart skipping a beat as he bit his lip and gave her yet another wink.

“See ya later, boss!”

Had her dad not been holding her up, Julie would have melted right into a puddle of mush. Yup, she was totally and completely doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's all happening! More backstory into Luke and Julie's ~interesting little relationship~ coming next chapter ;) 
> 
> Also, Day Three will work out to be about 4 parts, possibly 5 if I need to split chapters. After that there's only a few chapters until the end. The next chapter is my last prewritten one so updates will probably be a bit slower, fair warning! Thank you all for loving this fic as much as I do<3


	7. Day Three: Part 3

It was no small miracle that Julie made it through the afternoon without Ray asking for details about her supposed ‘plan’ to play with the Sunset Curve boys. She didn’t think she would have been able to pull off spinning a story quite as well as Luke had earlier. She had expected at least a small amount of interrogating about when she had started playing again, but apparently the news that she was playing at all, let alone with other people in front of an audience, was enough for Ray to ignore all of the other plot holes involved in this scheme. He seemed to have almost forgotten the meeting with Principal Lessa entirely: humming on the drive home, kissing her forehead, and turning her loose to freak out alone in her room while he sat down to work on his computer in the dining room. Julie took full advantage of the time alone to restlessly pace her room. She also immediately sent Flynn a 911 text. Her bestie’s contact photo lit up the phone screen 30 seconds later.

“Okay, I’m hiding in the basement girl’s bathroom, so you’ve got exactly 5 minutes before I get too grossed out to stay here.”

Julie’s chest loosened at the sound of Flynn’s comforting voice. There wasn’t anyone else in the world that loved her the way Flynn did. It was reassuring and made it easy for Julie to let loose.

“Lessa told Dad about the music program, and then You-Know-Who ambushed us outside of her office and basically forced me to agree to perform with them.”

“Voldemort was at Los Feliz?!”

Flynn’s gasp was dripping with sarcasm.

“Flynn!” Julie whined. “Be serious! Luke showed up out of nowhere _again!_ And he did the thing _again!_ The charming his way into getting what he wants thing! And now I have to play with his freaking band! What the hell am I supposed to do?”

There was silence for a moment. When Flynn spoke again her voice was softer, more serious.

“You don’t _have to_ play with them, Jules. You can tell them no, and they’ll have no choice but to respect that. The only person who can _make_ you do anything is _you._ But...I kinda think you might _want_ to play with them.”

“What?! No!”

Julie’s exclamation was a second late. Flynn didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Julie sighed.

“Okay fine. There’s something about Luke that makes me want to play again. Are you happy? He gave mom’s song back to me when I thought it was lost forever. He’s the only person who’s heard me perform it, and he...no one else has ever made me feel that good about my music before.”

Julie thanked her lucky stars Flynn wasn’t in the room to see her blush. There was a long moment of contemplative silence on the other end of the line. When she spoke again, there was that extra note of take-no-shit in Flynn’s voice that made Julie sit up and really listen.

“I think you should give it a chance. Who knows, maybe this is some sort of sign from your mom. You said it was a miracle he would have even found that song in the first place. You said it felt like she was there with you when you were playing. Maybe she made sure it would find its way back to you when you were ready for it.”

Julie didn’t say anything, just worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest. It _had_ felt a little too perfect to be just a coincidence. The way Luke kept appearing in her life at the exact moments she needed ~~him~~ someone or something to help her keep moving forward. Flynn sighed.

“Look, I’m not saying it is your mom. But I’m not saying there’s _not_ some kind of greater power out there that keeps pushing the two of you together. I think you should give it a chance. If nothing else, you can get back in the music program and we can bring Double Trouble to life in time for _our_ Junior Showcase!”

Julie couldn’t help laughing. Her eyes felt misty, love for her best friend welling up in her heart.

“I never agreed to that name you know. But thanks, Flynn. I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now. I gotta get the _fuck_ out of this grimy ass bathroom. Love you, bye!”

Flynn waited for her to return the sentiment before hanging up. Julie flopped back on her bed, letting her breath out in a loud _whoosh_ as she hit the comforter. A glance at her phone told her she only had a couple hours until Luke and the other boys would be out of school and on their way to her house. She tried her best to ignore the way that thought made her stomach roll with a type of nervousness she would rather not name. It was easier to blame it on nerves over playing with new people rather than nerves over playing with _Luke._ Except...now that she actually thought about it, she _had_ played with Luke before. Her head spun, eyes fluttering shut as she remembered the one music class she had shared with Luke last year.

She had only been a freshman, stuck in a lowly Introduction to Composition class. It was supposed to be for new songwriters. Julie had a little more experience than the rest of the class, after all she’d been kind of composing with her mom for a few years now, so when it had been time to write a duet for their final big project she had gotten paired up with the classmate whose skill level most matched hers. It was supposed to be a way for them to challenge each other and grow as writers instead of one person doing most of the work. Julie had been paired with Luke.

He’d been a grumbly sophomore, held back for failing his last semester of Intro to Comp the year before. He had been stuck there only for the second semester, forced to double up between their class and his second year Composition class. Julie hadn’t been all that excited about partnering with him. He hadn’t really seemed to care about the class at all, and even though Julie also sometimes felt like it was holding her back a little bit, she never once voiced that thought. It was a privileged mindset, and Julie was well aware that she had an advantage over her classmates since her mother was a professional songwriter. Luke, on the other hand, had made it well known that he felt like he was wasting his time just waiting to get through the semester so he could move up to the Advanced Composition class that he felt he truly belonged in. Julie could usually do no more than roll her eyes in those moments.

It was true that Luke was talented. His guitar playing was impressive, his lyrics were heartfelt and sometimes even downright poetic. Julie just didn’t think anyone _deserved_ specific things in life because they happened to be naturally talented at something. Their songwriting experience had been...interesting to say the least. And short. It had ended abruptly when Julie’s mother had died 5 days later. In the end, they’d only worked together for two 40-minute class periods before she had been lost in the fog of grief that consumed her in the weeks following the loss of her mom.

Julie shot up in bed, eyes wide. She didn’t even fully remember what had happened with the half-finished song they had been working on. Errant notes echoed in her head, like a song that had only existed in dreams until now. She absently wondered if Luke had held onto that as well. It was no wonder she had kept that particular memory suppressed all this time. That time in her life had been particularly painful. Luke had been gentle with her though. Almost all traces of his typical arrogance gone in the two short class periods they’d had to work together. He had kept things light, steering their songwriting in the direction of a rock ballad more than a true duet. Julie hadn’t minded. She had been floating through classes by then anyway, on edge every second she was away from her mom’s bedside. It had been easier to work on something that didn’t have as many sappy emotions attached to it.

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. No wonder Luke had been so sweet with her. He must have had a front row seat to her breakdown throughout the last year. She hadn’t even realized it. Had never before seen the way he watched her from a distance, checked in on her during class. She should have. Now that she was thinking about it, trying to identify every instance, she could name a million. How had she missed it for so long? How had he gone so long without saying anything? The Luke she remembered was terrible at keeping his mouth shut. He had always been ready to speak his mind, never afraid to start a discourse. It didn’t track that he had been holding himself back. Unless...it was more about her musical ability than anything else. She remembered now; Luke had been _thrilled_ to partner with her for the duet. He had made some remark about how her sound was the perfect complement to his. Maybe he only cared about the ways they would mesh as songwriters. She could only hope that’s what his words had meant.

She felt more secure in her footing as a musician when it came to dealing with Luke than she ever had as a simple teenaged girl. If it was just about the music she could compartmentalize better, keep herself from getting too emotionally invested. Music had always been a safe zone, neutral. She breathed in and out deeply, remembering the technique Dr. Turner had taught her to slow her breathing and recenter her mind. She could do this. It was just about the music. They would play a song together, Julie would get back into the music program, and life would move forward much in the way it had before. Except Julie would actually participate in class this time. She had the music back in her soul, she wasn’t ever going to let it go again. On her next exhale, she heard the doorbell ring. _Showtime._ Julie zipped down the stairs, ripping open the door before her dad had a chance to get more than three feet away from his computer. Luke, Alex and Reggie all stumbled back a step as she tumbled outside, pulling the front door shut behind her. The three teenaged boys shared a look.

“Studio. Now.”

Julie raced down the path to her mom’s studio before they could react, not even waiting to see if they followed her. If they were smart, if they truly wanted to do this, they would. She hauled the garage doors open, only turning around when she had the piano at her back. The wood felt warm and solid, almost like she had her mom as a support behind her instead of an instrument. The boys appeared seconds later, Luke leading the way. He stopped a couple feet inside of the studio, studying her with wide open earnest eyes. She let out a deep breath. Reggie spoke up before she could get a word out.

“Woah, Julie, this studio is _so cool!_ It’s like a tiny home! A musical tiny home in a botanical garden!!”

His green eyes were wide, expression awed as he spun to take in the space that Julie and her mom had spent countless hours turning into _theirs._

“How did you get chairs on the ceiling?! Are you, like, a witch _and_ a siren?!! Man, you and your mom must have made some serious magic in here.”

Luke’s arm shot out faster than lightening to backhand Reggie’s bicep. Reggie cringed away, a soft _owww!_ just barely audible over the loud sigh Alex let out as he dropped his face in his hands. Reggie shrugged, looking back and forth between his bandmates before giving Julie a confused yet apologetic glance. _What had he said wrong this time?_ The giggle that bubbled out of her was as unexpected as it was welcomed. Warmth blazed in her heart, memories of the time she had spent in here with her mom washing over her with a kind of hazy bliss she hadn’t ever experienced before. She gazed at Reggie, letting that same feeling of motherly love from the night before fill her up. It was all she could do not to react to Luke’s jaw dropping when she gave Reggie a soft smile.

“We did. We made so much magic in here.”

The words were gentle and filled with a kind of genuine love that overshadowed all other feelings of awkward nervousness. Alex and Luke relaxed instantly, Reggie’s face losing all traces of uncertainty as he beamed at her with a smile so large it almost looked painful. Julie couldn’t help but let herself return it, just a little bit. The silence that settled between them was more comfortable, the tense moment from earlier broken. Julie studied the boys in front of her. She hadn’t ever thought of them as friends per se. They knew each other, would say hi if they encountered one another outside the walls of the high school, but at the same time, they didn’t actually _know_ each other. Julie’s little run in with Luke the night before had made that painfully obvious. She wasn’t really sure what to make of them.

“Are you guys actually serious about this whole Showcase scheme? Did Luke even tell you about his dumb plan?”

“Hey! That plan is _genius._ Even your dad agreed. He seems pretty cool.”

Julie couldn’t help the fond way she rolled her eyes. Alex was quick to reassure her that they did, in fact, know about the plan.

“Not that I actually think it’s a particularly well thought out plan.” He stated with a lingering glare at Luke’s back.

The planner in question did his best to ignore the skeptical look on Julie’s face.

“Julie, you really _don’t_ deserve to be out of the music program.” Reggie’s voice was soft and sincere. “You have the voice of an angel. If we can help convince Ms. Harrison and Principal Lessa to give you your spot back it will be so worth it. And even if we don’t, it’ll be worth the looks on their faces when we rock the pants off that crowd!”

Julie laughed in spite of herself, slightly reassured even as she chewed nervously on her lip. Luke took a few bouncy steps forward, pulling her attention to him completely. His eyes locked on hers and she was sure she was drowning, throat tightening at the look he was giving her.

“You got this. I wouldn’t have come up with this idea if I didn’t believe in it 100%.”

Honestly, that was what scared her the most about it.

“We don’t even have anything prepared.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, unsteady and wavering. Luke took a few more steps towards her, Reggie and Alex ghosting along silently a few feet behind him. Julie didn’t even notice, so laser focused on the brunette boy in the cut-up tank top in front of her. She watched his muscles flex as he reached into his back pocket, flicking out a piece of folded up paper in a move scarily reminiscent of when he had given her mom’s song back to her. He bit his lip, head ducking a little to be closer to hers as he unfolded the worn sheets of scrappy notebook paper. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, focusing on the messy handwriting in front of her.

“I thought you would say that.”

The smile on his face was so soft and sweet it should have been illegal.

“It’s called ‘Bright’. It’s a Sunset Curve song that we never performed because it’s missing something. Look,” his bare shoulder brushed hers as he shifted to point at the notes, warmth seeping through the thin material of her t-shirt, “it’s perfect for your range. I was thinking, if we add a little bit of piano here and here,” fire blazed a path up her arm as his fingers traced along the opening notes and chorus, forearm flexing against her own, bare skin brushing in teasing licks, “it’ll be perfect.”

Julie forced herself to focus on what he was saying, eyes roving across the paper. She hummed a little under her breath, hearing what he described in her head. His eyes lit up when he saw her get it, feet springing up and down as he dipped even closer towards her and started to sing.

_We will rise_

_Through the night_

_You and I_

_We will fight to shine together_

_Bright forever_

His voice vibrated in her chest, the sound filling her with an emotion she couldn’t fully identify. Alex and Reggie bobbed along behind him, Reggie’s fingers plucking out the baseline on an invisible guitar while Alex nodded along to an unseen beat. Julie could envision the way the song would sound with a complete band, could practically see herself fitting seamlessly into the mix with her piano and vocals. She couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips as she joined in, reading the lyrics off of the page.

_And rise_

_Through the night_

_You and I_

_We will fight to shine together_

“Go up high.”

Luke cut in, fingers twirling towards the ceiling. Julie automatically made the adjustment in notes to harmonize her voice with his for the last line, holding the final syllable for a beat longer than him.

_Bright forever_

“Yes!”

Luke’s arm pumped up and down, bicep flexing and distracting Julie momentarily. She dropped her head shyly, trying to hide her blush. When her cheeks cooled a moment later she looked back up at the boy in front of her. His eyes were glowing, smile stretched a mile wide as he stared at her. Unconditional belief in her was practically oozing from his pores. She felt her face soften as their eyes locked, giving him her own sweet smile that was meant just for the two of them. She thanked him with a gentle murmur, heart melting as he simply bit his lower lip and nodded.

A throat cleared in the background, and Julie was snapped out of their private bubble by the sound. Her entire face felt engulfed in flames as she looked over Luke’s shoulder to see Alex and Reggie still standing a few paces behind him. Reggie’s face was bright, his sunshine temperament back in full force. Alex was a little more guarded, but he was giving her an encouraging smile. There was cautious optimism swimming in his sage green eyes as he fiddled with one of his drumsticks. She inhaled deeply and let her breath out in one smooth exhale. The same sort of peacefulness from the night before settled over her.

“Okay. Okay, so we’re doing this.”

Luke’s whoop was so loud both her and Alex jumped. Reggie raced forward with a cheer to sling one arm around Luke’s shoulders and the other around Julie’s, pulling them so close to his chest that their noses nearly touched. Julie saw the blush staining Luke’s cheeks and felt her own warm to match. Alex coughed again.

“Reg, c’mon. Let it settle for just a sec before you go all human octopus on the poor girl.”

“Oh, right! Sorry, Jules!!”

Reggie released both of them quickly. Julie flicked her gaze between the three boys, enjoying the glimpses at their band dynamic. Alex’s words had sounded a bit exasperated, but there was a fondness running through them as well. He gave a half-hearted roll of his eyes at Reggie’s abrupt movements and reached his own long arm out to pull the dark-haired boy close.

“Help me unload the van? I still don’t trust our little Lukey boy with my kit.”

“Hey! That was _one_ time!”

Luke sounded downright offended. The dark look Alex leveled at him in response had Julie choking back a laugh with a badly disguised cough. Clearly once of whatever he did was enough. Luke pouted, arms flexing as they crossed over his chest.

“You put your foot through my bass drum, and you think that isn’t reason enough not to trust you with it ever again?”

Luke sputtered, eyes flicking to Julie and back to Alex as his ears reddened.

“I told you I didn’t see it!”

“It’s the biggest part of the kit, dumbass. Literally the hardest thing to miss.”

Alex’s voice was as unimpressed as it was dismissive. Luke threw his hands in the air as the other boys headed out of the studio, laughing amongst themselves. It was clear this was a regular argument between the two, no heat or anger left in it, only a loving sort of tease. Like the way Carlos still brought up that time she accidentally gave him a concussion double-bouncing him off of their neighbor’s trampoline when he wanted something from her. Or the way her Tía would still laugh as she remembered the time her mom had almost gotten them both arrested for a bar fight on her 21st birthday, Ray affectionately filling in the parts she would try to leave out. Warmth bloomed in her chest. This wasn’t just a band, wasn’t just a ragtag trio of friends. These guys were brothers. This was a family. And they were letting _her_ into that intimate circle.

The thought was both humbling and nerve-wracking. This Showcase was a big deal. It wasn’t just some school assignment. This could impact their future as a band career-wise. They were all trusting her with this, fully believing in her, or at least, fully believing in _Luke’s_ faith in her abilities. She wasn’t sure anyone had ever believed in her like that. Not anyone that hadn’t known her since she was in diapers. Her head swam, knees feeling a bit weak. She stumbled her way over to the couch, collapsing onto it with a barely audible huff. Luke was in front of her instantly, crouched down so they were face to face. His hands twitched in his lap, but he didn’t reach for her.

“Hey. Julie. Breathe.”

She sucked in a breath, zeroing in on nothing more than his face. After a few seconds she realized he was breathing in and out slowly, just loud enough for her to hear over the jumble of thoughts running amok in her brain. She matched her own inhales and exhales to his, the room slowly coming back into focus as her head cleared. He gave her one of those soft smiles she was starting to think of as hers.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. But I wouldn’t have stopped you in school if I didn’t think you were gonna rock it. I heard you last night. I listened to you for years _before_ last night.”

His chin dropped in embarrassment for just a second before he pulled his gaze back up to hers. Julie felt like she was on the edge of a cliff. Not for the first time she wished she knew how long this version of Luke had been lurking under the surface. It took everything in her not to let herself step off that ledge and fall.

“Music is in your soul. It’s a part of you. Not everyone is like that, but _you are._ Your life without music...”

He tapered off like the thought was physically painful to him, eyebrows furrowing in a slight wince.

“Living without music would be like living in a world without stars: dark and empty and uninspired. You deserve _galaxies,_ Julie. You deserve the chance to shine exactly like the star you are, and the world deserves the chance to hear you. Please, just...have a little faith?”

She saw it then. As he gazed at her with those bottomless ocean eyes, with that special smile on his lips and sincerity bleeding through every word, she knew. Luke was like her. Luke _got it._ In a way that no one else except her mom ever had. That’s what this was. They were kindred spirits, two sides of the same coin. And that feeling? The wind rushing through her hair and stealing her breath away while her limbs all turned to jelly feeling? That was definitely her falling head over heels off of the cliff and into Luke Patterson completely.

“Okay.”

She breathed out, and his answering smile set off the butterflies she thought had finally left her stomach. He stood up and held a hand out to her, easily pulling her to her feet in one smooth movement.

“You know,” his smile turned rueful, “eventually you’re gonna have to answer one of my questions with something other than ‘okay’. That’s a pretty passive word, and I’m not really a passive type of person. I wanna start hearing some _‘hell yeah’_ s and _‘awesome’_ s pretty soon.”

Julie rolled her eyes, moving away from Luke to set up her keyboard. He gave her a bouncy little shrug of his shoulders, and she let the levity of his joke wash over her, releasing the last bit of nerves. She could do this. Luke believed in her. Her mom believed in her. Hell, Alex and Reggie believed in her and she barely even knew them. She could do this, just like her mom had said.

Noise from the other boys making their way up the driveway had her rushing to pull both doors to the studio open so they could haul in Alex’s drum kit. The three of them left together to grab amps and guitars, Julie finishing the rest of the set up in the garage. Before she had time to overthink things or freak out again, they were all settled into their spots and Alex was counting down for their first run through. Fingers against the keys, Julie breathed out, opened her mouth, and began to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are Bright by Julie and The Phantoms
> 
> Shoutout to missmitchieig on tumblr for the inspiration behind Reggie's 'witch&siren' line. If you wanna read a super interesting deep dive into the possibility of Julie as a SirenxWitch!Hybrid you should check out her blog! 
> 
> Also, you can thank Mr. Kenny Ortega for the fact that this show is now so deeply engrained within me that I didn't even notice the I've Got The Music reference I dropped until I was editing it. 
> 
> This is my last prewritten chapter. I had wanted to have more future chapters finished by this point, but I've had a lot going on personally that's taken me away from writing. I'm trying to get back into the groove. The next chapter is about halfway written and I'm setting a goal to have it out by this weekend! Thank you for all of your love and support<3


	8. Day Three: Part 4

Julie had expected a mess of sloppy, overlapping notes and kinks that would need to be quickly smoothed out by Friday’s performance. She had been ready to go into the Showcase and just give it their best, hoping that maybe they would sound somewhat coherent, but not really expecting much all the same. A band couldn’t be built in a day. It was part of why she thought Luke’s plan was so insane. She couldn’t have been more wrong if she tried.

Within the first three run-throughs of the song things just seemed to click into place. It was like she had been playing with them her entire life. The longer they played, the more they slipped naturally into their role as bandmates. The energy in the room, the chemistry between the four of them, was palpable. She knew they could feel it too.

It was the way Reggie turned to her at the exact moment she moved towards him, playing off of her as she gave into her need to move to the bassline vibrating through her feet. It was how Alex’s face lit up with a kind of unrestrained joy she had never seen before, face shining as he nodded his head in time with his tapping foot when she turned towards him. They laughed together as she flipped her hair out of her eyes at the exact same time he did, completely in sync as they moved to the rhythm created by his fast-moving sticks. It was every single part of Luke.

His head, tilting to the side to call her to him just as she began to drift closer to his side. His voice, blending with hers like they had been made to sing together. His eyes, drilling into hers as she held her microphone out for them to share. His fingers, so sure on the strings beneath them that he didn’t once break their stare down. The tension she had felt simmering between them for the last few days exploded. They felt it at the exact same moment as their most seamless playthrough of the song came to a close.

Julie’s voice rang out beyond the instruments as she held her final note a beat longer than everyone else. She could hear the sound of Reggie and Alex’s voices rising with enthusiasm as they talked, but she couldn’t make out their words. Everything felt a little soft on the edges as Luke gazed at her with so much awe she thought she would float off the ground. He made her feel _transcendent._ Like the celestial being he claimed her to be. It was hard to feel like she wasn’t in Heaven when he looked at her like that. Her breath caught in her throat. He opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly she was being jostled from behind, her moment with Luke broken. Her feet stumbled as leather-clad arms wrapped around her tightly, sweeping her into a clumsy spin.

“Julie! That was _amazing!_ ”

Reggie’s voice was sparkling, and she couldn’t help but laugh softly, giving into the all-consuming feeling of happiness that was bubbling up inside of her. They came to a stop as a longer pair of arms covered in soft pink cotton pulled them close. Julie met Alex’s eyes, giving him a grateful smile as the studio finally came back into focus. He beamed back at her, completely relaxed and damn near glowing.

“I gotta agree with Reg for once.”

Julie giggled as Reggie let out an indignant shout, lips slipping into a pout. Alex ignored him, releasing his hold on both of them, but still talking to Julie.

“Seriously, Julie, I totally see what Luke has been saying. He was right, you’re perfect.”

Julie felt hot all the way from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. She gave Luke a side-eyed glance, heart tripping as she caught the quick expression of embarrassed betrayal on his face. So, he had actually used the word ‘ _perfect’_ to describe her. He had talked about her to his boys, and not just as a musician. This wasn’t only about the music. She knew that, or she _should_ have known that by now, but to be faced with it so plainly was something else entirely. Luke attempted to slip into a casual slouch, but his hand scratching at the back of his neck gave away the nerves he was feeling as his gaze slipped back over to hers. Julie gulped, breathing out slowly.

“What can I say? You definitely make us better.”

Another attempt at a nonchalant shrug that was foiled by his still-scratching hand and slight vocal crack. Julie’s heart raced, her stomach flipping low in her gut. _So, this is what a real crush feels like._ Julie had crushed on boys before, or so she had thought. Never before had she felt like this. She hadn’t actually _known_ the other boys she had been attracted to. Not in the way she was beginning to realize she knew Luke. She had kept herself at a distance from them, building up a fantasy in her mind as to what type of person they were and what it would be like to see that fantasy come to life. Her crushes had always been somewhat superficial and definitely unobtainable. Luke was neither one of those things. He was _right here._ She _knew_ him. Connected with him on a level deeper than should be possible after only three days, but it was undeniable all the same. Her soul whispered that she had always known him, she had simply been waiting for him to return to his true home within her heart all this time.

Luke was shifting uneasily on his feet, just like earlier in the day when he realized he had taken his bold declarations a step too far. Only this time, Julie realized she _liked_ when he did that. The way he built her up without even trying, an endless supply of support and admiration falling from his lips so easily. Julie simultaneously wanted to reassure him and also continue needling him because the way his words made her feel was a high like no other. His eyes crinkled at the edges, smile softening just for her. She gave in to the temptation to touch him, reaching up to lightly grasp his wrist. The scratching finally stopped, and Julie gave a special soft smile of her own.

“I think we make each other better. That’s a great song, Luke. Thank you for doing this for me.”

Julie released her grip and lowered her hand, biting her lip slightly. She didn’t miss the way that Luke’s ears tinged pink, his arm hovering in the air for a second as he processed her words. Their eyes locked, a million fleeting emotions passing between them in seconds, their own form of silent communication. With Luke, Julie was learning that there was a lot more in the things left unsaid than the things that he let slip out. Her words meant more to him than he would ever be able to express and she wondered if that related back to something with Bobby or something with his parents. Maybe even both. The moment stretched on, the rest of the studio melting away in the background. Until Reggie’s whisper broke through.

“I see chemistry.”

The twin slaps of Alex’s hand on his forehead and Luke’s hand falling to his thigh echoed in the otherwise silent space. Julie felt her cheeks burn, breaking away from Luke’s gaze to face the other boys once again. She really had to stop letting herself get swept up in him. Especially when they had such an observant audience. Her eyes darted to the clock behind them, surprised to find several hours had already passed. Her dad would probably be calling her up for dinner soon. Right on cue, the studio doors rattled and opened. Carlos, framed by the setting sun behind him, studied the group of teenagers.

“So, this is your boy band?”

“ _Boy band!_ Who you callin ‘boy band’?!”

Luke’s indignant shout would have been funny if Julie wasn’t hyperaware of how close she was still standing to him. Carlos’s skeptical brown eyes darted back and forth between them like he could tell he had missed out on a golden opportunity to embarrass her. He smirked slightly, crossing his arms as he regarded Luke.

“I mean, you’re boys in a band. Ergo, boy band.” His hands lifted in a falsely innocent shrug. “I don’t make the rules.”

Reggie giggled as Luke’s jaw dropped slightly, stunned into silence by her brother’s sass. Even Alex was fighting back a grin. Reggie stepped closer to Carlos, whipping out his hand for a high-five.

“Up top, little dude!”

Carlos’s smirk melted into a genuine smile as he lifted onto his toes to smack Reggie’s hand. Julie rolled her eyes, nudging Luke a bit while the others were distracted. He turned to her with a small pout.

“Kids usually think I’m cool.”

“No, kids usually think you’re another kid.” Alex chimed in gleefully.

Luke’s pout deepened and Julie couldn’t resist knocking their fingers together for a quick brush of contact.

“ _I_ think you’re cool.”

The whisper was low, but she could tell he heard it by the way he snatched her hand into his, squeezing it for a brief moment as he gave her that burning look again. The interaction was over in a second, but Julie felt the lingering fire race across her skin. She wished she could have a minute or ten alone with him. She turned back to Carlos in the doorway before he could notice. That kid didn’t need any more ammunition against her, _thank you very much._

“Did you need something, Carlos? Or are you just here to be a pest?”

He broke off his conversation with Reggie to stick his tongue out at her. She repeated the gesture back to him.

“I _need_ a lot of things actually. Like a normal sister for one.”

He snickered at the way her nostrils flared, fully aware that she wanted to reach out and cuff the back of his head but wouldn’t do it in front of other people. She settled for gritting her teeth and reminding herself that as annoying as Carlos was, he was also her little brother and she loved him. She just didn’t always appreciate his astonishing lack of a filter around older boys that he thought were cool. Luke had read him all wrong of course. Carlos only teased people he was in awe of. That reminder calmed her as well. He was teasing out of love, and because he was nervous around these teenagers that he clearly wanted to like him. She could give him a pass. She could also tease him right back.

“I know where you sleep, twerp. Relay your message or scram.”

He rolled his eyes at her lame threat, but dropped the bratty attitude nonetheless.

“Dad says it’s time to eat. He said the guys can stay if they’re hungry.”

Carlos couldn’t fully hide the hope in his voice, though he tried to sound indifferent about it. Julie watched the boys share a quick look, an entire conversation taking place in mere seconds. Alex’s arm went around Reggie, who sagged a bit like he was disappointed. Luke’s hand went back to his neck, body slumping as if to shrink himself. Alex’s fingers tapped out a restless beat against his thigh. None of them moved to speak. Julie couldn’t stand the uncomfortable way the air grew thick between them.

“I’m sure the guys have plans already, bud. This was kind of a last-minute thing. Maybe tomorrow?”

She aimed the question at the boys instead of Carlos. They seemed to melt all at once. Another silent conversation communicated through glances. Reggie took the lead this time.

“That sounds great! As long as you’re sure your dad won’t mind. We don’t wanna be a burden.”

Julie shook her head, heart aching at the way Reggie said ‘burden’ like it was a title he was used to.

“No burden at all. Dad always makes too much spaghetti anyway. And my Tía usually brings food a few times a week so we literally always have leftovers. You guys would be helping us out by eating them up, honestly.”

Reggie smiled at her, and Julie was surprised to find that she wanted to cry. Not because she was happy or sad or any particular emotion really, but because Reggie made her feel the same way Carlos did when it was the middle of the night and she was waking up to the feeling of his cold feet against her calves and his whispered confession about not wanting to be alone right then. She felt _protective._ Ready to fight whatever or whoever it was out there that had made him believe he was too much simply by existing. Was this what her mom had talked about when she said the best bands were actually families? Julie had always taken that to mean _her_ family, as in her mom and her. Maybe what she had been saying all along was that the magic of music could _make_ a family. The right connections, the right mix of artists, and it wasn’t just about playing anymore. It was about creating something together, breathing life into their art as one entity. Caring for each other, lifting each other up, bandaging each other’s wounds.

The enormity of the realization that all it took was one afternoon for her to adopt these three idiots hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn’t even know them, and yet, she did. Their souls were forever intertwined. Whatever feeling had overtaken them during their practice would linger for the rest of eternity, burned into her heart like a brand. _The magic of music._

“Thanks, Julie.”

Alex’s voice was soft, fingers calm once more. Julie nodded, not trusting herself to speak right then.

“Cool!”

Carlos whooped, breaking the moment once again. This time, Julie didn’t mind so much.

“I’ll go tell Dad. See you guys later!”

He was off like a rocket, propelled forward by his unshakeable enthusiasm. The arm that Alex still had around Reggie flexed for a moment before dropping. Reggie gave him a quick smile, lifting his bass over his head. Luke swung his guitar onto his back, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. Julie could tell something was bothering him. Alex seemed to feel it too.

“Hey, Reg, can you go unlock the van? I’m gonna start carrying my kit up.”

Alex tossed the keys to Reggie, who somehow managed to catch them singlehandedly while still holding his bass. His eyebrows furrowed for a second, but then he looked over at Luke and understanding dawned. He raced out of the studio without a word, Alex close behind him cradling his bass drum in his arms. Julie turned to Luke once they were alone, only to be met with his back as he fiddled with his guitar in its case. His shoulders were raised high, muscles bunched tightly under his shirt. She took a few steps forward, resting her hand lightly on his back once she was next to him. He relaxed slightly and she sighed in relief. Her fingers took on a mind of their own, softly rubbing until he let his shoulders fall.

“Please don’t feel obligated to stay for dinner tomorrow if you don’t want to.”

Luke spun around so quickly Julie didn’t have time to step back. He grabbed her elbows, steadying her but not moving out of her space. His expression was torn, eyes intense. Julie felt her throat tighten.

“No, Julie, it’s not that. I just...families are hard. For me. For...us.”

His eyes flew to the still open doors and back. She didn’t have to ask who the _us_ was.

“Your dad seems really great. Your brother too. I just...it’s silly, but I don’t wanna let you or your family down.”

He bit his lip, gaze slipping down to the floor. They stood toe-to-toe, the tips of their sneakers almost touching. Julie breathed in deeply, the faint smell of her shampoo tickling her nose. It had to be coming off of Luke. Her own hair had been tied back into a bun at the beginning of band practice. It was an intimate reminder of the night before. When he hadn’t been home in the middle of the night because sometimes it was better to be elsewhere, even if elsewhere just meant _not there._ She couldn’t relate to that feeling. Her home had never felt like anything other than a welcoming, safe space. Her family had never been anything other than loving and supportive, even in the rare moments when they fought with each other.

“Luke, I’m pretty sure my dad thinks that you’re an angel. He was so happy this afternoon he didn’t even bring up the meeting with Lessa. You’re the reason I’m playing music again and that’s as good as gold in his eyes.”

“No way, Molina.” Luke scoffed, hands raising from her elbows to her shoulders. “That’s all on you. I didn’t do anything except ambush you for my own personal gain.”

Julie was shaking her head before he even finished his sentence. He was trying to play everything off with that cocky, cool kid attitude, but she knew him better now. That bravado was all a defense mechanism. One of her own hands lifted, brushing his hair out of his eyes, fingers lingering along his jawline.

“You’re wrong, Patterson.”

She didn’t miss the way he jerked a bit when she used his last name, his pupils widening slightly. A small smile formed on her lips. _Two could play at that game._

“ _You_ rescued my mom’s song and protected it all this time. _You_ brought it back to me right when I needed it. Did you know that was the last song she ever worked on? The last song _we_ ever worked on. That song is the last piece of my mom. I don’t think I would have ever been able to play again without it, and I didn’t even realize that until _you_ gave it back to me.”

She edged forward until their shoes touched. It wasn’t that much closer, but Julie could feel every inch of space lost between them. Luke’s eyes were doing that soft, starry thing again, and Julie thought her own eyes might look the same. He let his hands fall from her shoulders until they were resting lightly against her waist. Her own hands snuck around his neck, fingertips brushing against his soft, jasmine scented hair. Luke swayed their bodies slightly, his need for constant motion of some kind getting the best of him. It made her want to laugh, but this moment felt too big for that. Of all the ways her relationship with Luke had rapidly shifted in the last few days, this felt like the most serious. She wasn’t trying to fight him anymore. She was laying her cards out just as openly as he had.

“Julie...”

She couldn’t stop herself from leaning into him further, his voice twisting her name into the sweetest sounding melody. Luke didn’t get a chance to say or do anything else before noise filtered in through the still open studio doors. Alex’s voice, louder than Julie had ever heard it before, as he chatted with Reggie. Luke’s shoulders curved slightly, like he was disappointed, before he straightened and put some more space between them. They dropped their hands at the same time, the loss of contact causing her to shiver. Luke shot her a quick smile, so Julie knew his actions were less about hiding her and more about not wanting to share their delicate relationship with anyone else just yet. That was okay with her, too. It felt a little too new, a little too fragile, to let anyone else in on it just yet.

Alex and Reggie appeared only seconds later, Alex looking a little wary like he wasn’t sure his loud approach had been enough warning, Reggie’s expression open and happy, clearly oblivious to the thick tension between Luke and Julie. He was babbling to Alex about something involving physics homework, both of them moving to collect several other pieces of Alex’s kit. Luke gave her one last glance before he left her side to lift an amp. Julie was silent for a moment as she watched them before a realization had her smacking her forehead. The sound was loud enough to startle the boys, who turned to her with matching confused expressions on their faces.

“You guys are going to be right back over here tomorrow. You don’t need to take all your stuff out just to haul it back in here in like 24 hours. I should have said something earlier.”

Another silent conversation, the boys wary and anxious again. Julie wished she had a better understanding of the landmines she seemed to keep stumbling upon. Luke had given her a small hint, but the rejection anxiety ran deep in every single one of these boys. Reggie spoke up before Julie had the chance to reassure them.

“Are you sure your dad won’t mind?”

He was fiddling nervously with the strap on his bass, eyes wide. Alex’s grip flexed on the snare he held, Luke stepping closer to his guitar case. She heard the underlying question behind Reggie’s tone. _Are you sure these parts of our souls will be safe here?_

“He won’t mind at all. He hasn’t touched a thing in here since we locked it up after Mom...since we locked it up a year ago.”

She tried to keep her voice soft, her steps slow as she moved to place her hands against the top of the grand piano.

“My mom’s piano has been stored in here my entire life. I promise you the Molina’s know the importance of protecting our instruments. It’s up to you though. I totally get it if you want to keep them with you.”

Julie didn’t wait for their response, letting them process and decide for themselves how they felt about the situation. She bent to lift the sheet that usually covered the piano, shaking it a few times before closing the fallboard and draping the soft material over the instrument. By the time she turned around, only Luke was left behind her. She raised a brow, concerned she had said the wrong thing. His lips stretched into one of the smiles reserved just for her.

“They went back to the van to get Alex’s bass drum.”

Her eyes darted off to the side behind him, noticing that the snare Alex had been holding was back in place, Reggie’s bass once more nestled into a guitar holder. She felt her frown soften into a smile, relieved that they seemed to trust her despite not really having much of a reason to.

“Thank you...for, ya know, being so cool about all of this.”

Luke’s voice was quiet, hands fidgeting like he was fighting the urge to raise them to the back of his neck.

“Luke, _I_ should be the one thanking _you._ Seriously, you guys don’t have to do this for me, and you are anyway. Actually, you very well could get into trouble for doing this, and yet you’re still willing to take that risk. The _least_ I can do is house your instruments for a few days.”

Julie didn’t mean to, but something in her voice had his head snapping up at the way she said her last sentence. Like he could tell that she was trying to say it wasn’t just the instruments she was willing to care for. It was the boys too. It was Luke. They didn’t say anything more, letting the sentiment hang in the air between them. Luke’s eyes were impossibly soft. If Julie hadn’t already plunged over the cliff ledge falling for him, this moment would have toppled her.

Reggie and Alex stumbled back in, both of them laughing but unable to fully articulate why. Something about an old Vine video and bible study. Alex reset his bass drum, Julie scrounging up another sheet from the linen closet in the bathroom to cover it for the night. And if she took an extra second to run her fingers over the towel now hanging on the hook next to the shower, the faint scent of jasmine and citrus body wash and _Luke_ drifting off of it at the movement, well no one else had to know about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I don't know if I actually like this chapter or not. Imposter syndrome has taken over my brain and I hate pretty much everything I'm producing lately. That's part of why this is so late. The ending feels super weak to me, but I couldn't make it work any other way. Hopefully it's better than I'm giving myself credit for, I just couldn't keep trying to rework it because it felt like it kept getting worse. Sorry y'all. Fingers crossed I can work through this by next week when I want to get the next chapter posted. 
> 
> In other news, I wrote a one-shot of Ray and Rose's first date that was referenced back in Chapter 6 and as a bonus it is also the story of Tia Victoria's 21st birthday referenced in chapter 7! I've added it to this series and it's actually one of the only things I've written recently that I liked so you should check it out! I think it gives some nice backstory to Ray, Rose and Victoria's characters in this AU. It might even get referenced again in the future.
> 
> Also, in case you didn't know, I'm old AF as evidenced by my Vine reference. I literally know nothing about Tik Tok so I couldn't work that in there lmfao


	9. Halfway Between Day Three & Day Four

Julie should have expected this.

When the boys had left earlier, she had seen the telling glances between Alex and Reggie going back and forth from Luke to the studio and occasionally skipping over Julie herself when they thought she wasn’t looking. She had waved to them from the steps leading up to the house from the studio as they made their way to the van. She knew the moment she had been blocked from their view by the way they started playfully shoving Luke around, hooking thumbs behind them to point at the spot they didn’t know she was still lingering in. She watched Luke duck away from their teasing, opting to climb in the back of the van where the instruments would usually be stored. No one chose that spot in a band van willingly. It was clear he was trying to hide from Alex and Reggie. She caught a quick glimpse of that damn hand rising to the back of his neck before he was lost in the darkness of the van’s interior. The other boys exchanged a knowing look, twin grins stretched across their faces, before they piled in the van as well and took off down her street.

So, the boys knew he had spent the night before sleeping in her mom’s studio. Whatever. She trusted them not to spread it around the school or make it into a bigger deal than it was. Whether or not they cared about her reputation, they would want to protect Luke. Julie firmly believed they would keep that knowledge to themselves, unless they decided she was fair game for teasing as much as Luke was. The fact that they hadn’t brought it up during rehearsal or in front of her made her believe the worst of the ribbing would be reserved for Luke. She figured that would be the end of it. Luke would have some explanation to give them, and Julie had gotten pretty good at dodging conversations she didn’t want to have, so on the off chance they tried to talk to her about it she would simply deflect. No biggie.

What she had _not_ expected was for Luke to reappear several hours later, caught red handed sneaking back into the studio. She probably _should_ have expected it, but she had spent a few hours away from his overwhelming presence, and the quiet time had been enough for her to convince herself that all of those fluttery feelings passing between them earlier were simply in her imagination. So, when she climbed out of bed at midnight to jot some lyrics down and tuck them into her dream box, she had been surprised to see a small light on outside. Her first reaction was panic. That studio held every important memory Julie had of her mom. If someone had broken in or caused any damage to the space, she might not be able to survive the emotional fallout. Not to mention, she had promised the boys she would keep their instruments safe, and she wasn’t about to break that vow. Which was how she found herself standing in the open doorway in her fuzzy monster slippers and mismatched pajamas, the heavy cross from the dining room wall held in front of her like a weapon, jaw on the floor.

“Luke, what the hell?!”

Julie couldn’t stop the exclamation, even as she cringed away from the defensive look in his eyes. She dropped her arms immediately, the cross dangling limply at her side.

“Julie! I...uh...forgot my pick?”

His voice was rough, rising to a squeak on the last word, and Julie couldn’t help the way her eyebrow rose questioningly. He wasn’t even holding a pick. A fact he seemed to realize as he dropped his gaze to quickly scan the area they had left the instruments set up in. She didn’t even have to guess that his next move would be to reach for his neck. Without thinking about it, she took three quick steps forward to grasp his wrist with her free hand as it started to rise. He startled slightly, turning back to meet her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the raw vulnerability swimming in the stormy ocean depths of his eyes. There was a tinge of red around his irises, and she could just make out the sheen of drying tears on his cheeks in the low light.

“Are you...” She swallowed hard against the butterflies swirling in her gut. “Do you need a place to stay tonight?”

Julie kept her eyes locked on his, even as they flickered with some kind of internal conflict. She didn’t push farther than that, leaving him the space to decide for himself what it was he wanted out of this interaction. He had come here for a reason, even if he had originally intended to keep that reason a secret. She fought against the desire to pull him close for a hug. They hadn’t breached that barrier just yet. She _did_ allow her fingers to slip from their hold on his wrist and travel down to entangle with his. That kind of comfort was safe, still tiptoeing the line of being just friends. His eyes searched her face for a moment before he squeezed her hand, pulling just enough that she had to step closer to him. Just like earlier, the world seemed to shrink down to just the two of them.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up. I can go...”

Julie tightened her hold before he could pull his hand away. Queen of deflection that she was, she saw right through what he was doing. He might want to give into her on a subconscious level, but there was a part of him that he was holding back. She thought back to the whole dinner debacle and his fears over disappointing her family. His fears over disappointing _her._ He was trying to reject himself before she got the chance to, not realizing that ship had long since sailed for her. She was firmly a passenger on the _SS Luke_ now, having jumped ship mere hours ago in this very same garage. To reject him in this moment would be like rejecting a part of herself.

“Luke, _no_ , please don’t leave. It’s okay. You can stay here.”

She made sure to keep her voice soft. Luke’s conflicted gaze flitted across her face, like he didn’t fully believe it would just be that easy. She gave a tug of her own, stepping backwards so he didn’t topple her as he moved forward. She placed the cross on the floor, moving around it with Luke’s hand still glued to hers until they were in front of the couch. He didn’t fight her, following her lead willingly even as he avoided the concerned look on her face. She dropped onto the couch, curling her legs underneath her and reaching out with her empty hand to wrap around the one that still held his. It wasn’t the hug she wanted to give him, but it was as close as she was willing to get at the moment. He glanced at their hands, a slight smile playing at the edges of his lips before letting out a bone deep sigh and sinking down into the space next to her.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Julie murmured, her fingers stroking over the bumps of his knuckles and the rough calluses on his fingertips, “but my mom always used to say that the studio was the one place where I didn’t have to hide. You don’t have to hide here either. It can be your safe space, too.”

She didn’t look up from where she was drawing patterns on the back of his hand. It still hurt, to think about her mom, to talk about her knowing that she would only exist in memories from now on. But something about Luke made it a little bit easier. Her mom would have liked him, she realized somewhat ruefully. It was a shame they wouldn’t ever get to meet, but maybe that was part of what made him that much more important to Julie. He helped her remember those bits and pieces of her mom that she would have otherwise locked away. They sat in silence for a long moment, but it was more comforting than awkward. Julie tried not to jump when she felt Luke’s head fall to rest on her shoulder. His breath ghosted along her collarbone, sending goosebumps rippling across her skin.

“What was she like?”

It wasn’t a question she had expected him to ask. She could tell by the way he said it, whispered into the chilled air on a soft exhale, that he wouldn’t ask again if she chose to pretend she hadn’t heard him. All at once, she wanted nothing more than to tell him everything.

“She was...she was _everything._ ”

The pain that was always under the surface when it came to talking about Rose Molina threatened to choke her, but a stronger feeling of needing to share this with Luke overpowered it. Julie cleared the emotion from her throat and pushed on.

“She was like the sun and the moon and the stars all rolled into one. An entire universe in one single person. No one loved like she did. It was all-encompassing. My dad told me once that he knew from the first moment he saw her that she would change his life. I thought that was just for us for a long time, just for our family. But I was wrong. She was like that with _everyone._ I remember one time I asked him why we couldn’t ever go somewhere without Mom making a new friend and he looked at me with so much happiness and whispered like he was sharing the secret to life itself: ‘Everyone falls a little bit in love with your mom when they meet her, _mija_. She’s magic like that.’ And she was. She was absolute _magic._ She had the biggest heart and the sweetest smile, and she always knew exactly what to say. When we lost her, it felt like my world collapsed in on itself. It still feels like that sometimes. Like, how can I exist somewhere that she doesn’t? Sometimes it feels like it has to be a dream because a world without my mom? A world without the very light that created existence itself? That shouldn’t be possible.”

Julie didn’t realize she was crying until one of Luke’s rough fingers was brushing the tears from her cheeks. She finally looked up from where their hands were still clasped together. His eyes drilled into hers, silently communicating that he understood, and she couldn’t fight against the need to be close to him any longer. She launched herself into his lap, face curled into the pocket of warmth where his neck met his shoulder, hands twisting into the fabric of his cut up tank-top like he was the only thing anchoring her to the world right then. He caught her without question, strong arms locking around her waist and one hand rising to rest on the back of her head. Julie let the sob that had been building in her chest explode.

“I miss her so much. She was the best mom, and it’s not fucking fair that she isn’t here anymore.”

The words were muffled against Luke’s skin, but she knew by the way he tightened his hold that he had heard them just the same. Julie didn’t know how long they sat like that. Being with Luke made time feel meaningless. He didn’t say anything, just tangled his fingers into her curls and nuzzled his nose against her temple until the tears finally subsided. She could feel the wet stain she had left along his collar against her cheek. That same smell that had drifted off of his towel earlier tickled her nose, foreign and yet comfortingly familiar all at the same time. She inhaled deeply, letting it seep into her bones until she knew she would recognize it anywhere. He swallowed and she felt the way his neck flexed, but she didn’t move from the cocoon of his arms.

“You’re like that too, ya know.”

Luke’s voice was so gentle she thought she might start crying again. The hand that was wrapped low around her hip traced feather light swirls against the thin strip of skin exposed there. Julie released a shuddery breath, pulling away just enough that she could look at his face, their noses almost brushing at the movement.

“The sun and the moon and the stars? That’s you, too. You’re just as magical, just as all-encompassing. All the best parts of your mom live on in _you_ , Julie.”

His voice dipped, eyes blazing as they lowered to her lips for a brief second before rising to meet hers again. Julie felt her mouth fall open slightly, allowed herself to drown in the clear blue-green sea of his gaze. She gulped and watched him track the movement before he spoke again.

“I think I know _exactly_ how your dad felt. I think I’ve been a little bit in love with you for _years._ ”

His cheeks blazed bright red on that final quiet declaration, Julie’s warming to match. Neither one of them broke their stare down, and Julie thought she could feel the physical shift in the universe that was the two of them snapping into place together. The final piece of her soul being righted after a year of feeling lost and alone. Luke shifted impossibly closer, closing the last few millimeters of space between them so every part of their bodies pressed against each other.

“I wish you could have met her.”

The confession was wrenched from the softest part of her heart, meant only for Luke’s ears in this quiet moment that felt both infinite and precious.

“I do, too. But I’d like to think that a part of me _did_ get to meet her. When I used to listen to you two play together, sometimes I would pretend I was right there with you, practicing scales and vocal warm-ups. Your mom loved you so much, and I could hear it every time you guys were out here. I read that song so many times that even though I knew it was yours, it felt a little bit like mine, too. She might not be here physically, but her spirit is. I know you can feel it out here, and I can too. Nowhere else has ever felt as safe and loving as being here does.”

Luke’s voice had trailed off until it was nothing more than a breathy whisper on the last few lines. Julie felt her chest squeeze and burn, a fire lit within her soul for Luke and Luke alone. He was so right, and it was almost scary that he seemed to understand her so deeply after just a few days. And yet, at the same time, nothing else had ever felt so right.

Julie had never really believed in signs from the beyond before. She had begged for even a scrap of something to prove that her mom was still around for a year and had never received anything. But that had changed since the day Luke quite literally knocked her off of her feet. Now it was like everywhere she looked she could see the little parts of her mom that still lingered all around. Here, in the middle of the night, surrounded by the same four walls that her mom had infused with so much love, Julie felt like Luke was the ultimate sign. He had been the catalyst that led to her finding herself again, and all of that came down to her mom’s song. The song that Luke had rescued and protected for a year. The song that was the last love letter from her mom was also the first love letter from Luke. Everything had fallen back into place when he entered her life, and Julie couldn’t help but think that was her mom’s doing.

“Will you stay? The whole night? I meant it when I said this can be your safe space. She would have liked that.”

It wasn’t quite the same as Luke’s almost declaration of love, but Julie knew that he saw it for the serious gesture that it was. The way his pupils dilated and his hand flexed against her waist told her that he was reading in between her words, seeing everything she was leaving unsaid because it felt a little too big just then. He felt it just as strongly as she did, this thing between them that seemed to grow stronger with every passing second.

“I’ll stay.”

Two simple words, one simple statement. But Julie heard what he really meant. This promise wasn’t just for the night, it was eternal. The weight of it pressed against her like the baby blanket she still sometimes curled up with at night, strong and secure and never ending in its comfort. Two words that were a stand in for the three he couldn’t say just yet. Fire burned low in her belly, licking a path up to her heart and searing across her chest. Their eyes locked, a million emotions they weren’t ready to express flowing back and forth between them like a river. Overwhelmed, Julie pulled his head close and pressed her lips against his for the briefest moment before leaping from the couch. Stunned by her own boldness, she raised her fingertips to her lips and caught Luke doing the same. Like they could each feel the lingering phantom of the other.

“Okay, so, uh...I’ll see you in the morning?”

Julie’s voice cracked and she fought hard to steady it before continuing.

“My dad will leave at the same time so just, uh, wait until you hear him go and then come up to the house? Okay, yeah, okay...goodnight!”

She made a beeline for the studio doors, taking full advantage of Luke’s shocked silence to escape before she could embarrass herself even more by kissing him again. The sound of his melodic voice stopped her before she could make it outside.

“Hey, Julie?”

She turned, cheeks burning red hot and heart on fire. He was looking at her like she hung the moon, eyes bright and face shining with unbridled joy. Some of the jittery nervousness leeched from her limbs at the sight of him looking so at her so softly. Not trusting herself to speak, she tilted her head and waited a beat for him to continue. A smile broke across his face like the dawning of a new day and Julie found herself momentarily blinded by his shine.

“Sweet dreams.”

It was a gentle hum, his way of sending her off to bed with the sweetest lullaby imaginable playing in her head. It took everything she had to resist the urge to fling herself into his arms again. Instead, she bit her lip with a smile, turned on her heel, and fled back inside to the relative safety of her room. It was an hour and an entire ballad composed later that she was finally able to close her eyes and sleep, the memory of the way Luke’s lips felt against hers playing out in every single dream she had that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eek I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update! But surprise!! You get another midnight Juke moment that was completely unplanned for!! I think these scenes keep happening because they're a huge part of my novel that I'm loosely basing this story on. Everything feels a little softer in the middle of the night when the rest of the world is asleep. All of my favorite high school memories happened in the middle of the night. 
> 
> This was originally supposed to be Julie comforting Luke but of course he had to go and turn that on its head. And Julie really needed to get this out if she was gonna let Luke in the way she desperately wants to. Don't worry though, Luke gets his angsty comfort moment next chapter. ALSO, that part at the end wasn't supposed to happen until much later but then Julie was like "nah bitch I'm GOIN FOR IT" and honestly, I respect that.
> 
> This fic will end on Day Six (the day after the Showcase performance). I've already planned Day Four as well as parts of Day Five and I know how things will wrap up in the end, it's just a matter of connecting the dots to get there. Thanks for sticking with me through all the delays<3
> 
> P.S. I always feel weird linking to my tumblr on here cause it makes me feel like I'm asking for followers, BUT I did wanna let y'all know that I post info about updates and sneak peeks at future chapters over there pretty often. If you want extra info about when to expect updates or you just wanna see some things coming up in future chapters you can find me @phantom-curve! Everything pertaining to this fic is tagged under "find the strength find the melody" and I love answering any and all writing/fic related asks!


	10. Day Four: Part 1

For the first time in a long time, Julie woke up with a smile on her face. Her lips still tingled, from the lingering ghostly sensation of Luke’s pressed against them the night before or from the vivid dreams she’d had replaying the moment all night, she couldn’t be sure. Something had changed within her. The world felt brighter, the dawning of the day more hopeful than anything she’d experienced for the past year. It was stronger than the feeling she’d had the day before. No anxiety lurking at the edges, no panic over the boy squirrelled away in the garage. Yesterday, her soul had felt realigned. Today, it felt brand new. Like the future was an endless notebook of blank pages just waiting for her to leave her mark. Waiting for Luke to leave his as well. A tiny seed of hope began to blossom in her heart that maybe they would mark those pages together. Julie had given up all pretenses of fighting against the way he made her feel. After their charged moment in the garage last night, she was ready to wave the white flag of surrender and give into him completely.

The typical morning sounds of her father and brother rushing to get out the door on time filtered up from downstairs. Julie made quick work of pulling herself together for the day, making her way down the staircase with just enough time to kiss her dad’s cheek and ruffle Carlos’ hair as they slipped out the front door to start their day. Julie didn’t miss the way her dad’s entire demeanor seemed brighter than the day before. He stood straighter, his shoulders uncurled, like the weight of the world had finally been lifted from his back. She found herself feeling extra grateful for his unwavering support and love. She’d always felt lucky to have the parents that she did, but seeing Luke looking so lost and alone in the studio the last couple of nights and thinking about Alex and Reggie so hesitant to accept a simple dinner invitation for reasons she hadn’t ever had to worry about made her appreciate it even more. She only had a few minutes to ruminate on the boys’ family situation before there was a tentative knock at the back door. Julie couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face as she bounded to the door and pulled it open.

“Hi.”

They spoke at the exact same time, voices blending together just as seamlessly as the day before. Julie’s heart nearly burst at the way Luke shyly ducked his head, ears stained red as he rocked a bit on his heels. She leaned against the doorway, forcing herself not to reach for him no matter how badly she wanted to. Her cheeks hurt, her smile taking over her entire face.

“You gonna treat me to another gourmet breakfast, Patterson?”

It felt so right to tease him. Effortless, like everything else involving Luke. He smirked at her, hands stuffed into his pockets like he was trying to hold himself back as well. His bouncing shoulders ruined whatever casual look he had been aiming for.

“I dunno about gourmet, but I’m definitely not letting you start your day with some sugary crap pretending to be real food.”

“How dare you insult Pop-Tarts like that,” Julie scoffed, unable to keep the laugh out of her voice even for the sake of the joke.

Luke’s grin grew impossibly wider as he leaned close enough for her to smell her shampoo in his hair again. One arm raised, bicep flexing as he rested it next to hers in the doorway. Their fingertips were almost touching, barely a hairsbreadth away from connecting, and Julie felt her eyelids flutter slightly as her heart picked up speed.

“You gonna let me in, Molina? Or are we gonna stand here debating the merits of home cooked meals over processed pink stuff all day?”

Luke should absolutely not have been allowed to make his voice all low and growly like that. Julie’s stomach swooped and dropped, held up solely by the butterflies suddenly flying around inside of her. Unable to speak, she bit her lip and twisted to leave just enough space for him to enter the house. His eyes flickered down to her lips for a quick second before he was slipping inside, his bare arm brushing ever so slightly against her own. She felt her eyes close as her breath stuttered in her chest. The butterflies threatened to choke her, but Julie forced herself to take a deep breath before reopening her eyes just in time to catch the adoring look Luke shot her way before he started making his way to the kitchen. She took full advantage of the moment alone to recollect herself before following him.

He didn’t hesitate when he entered the sunny room, immediately falling into the same easy pattern as the morning before. This time, Julie let herself fully give in to the homey spell he was casting. She wasn’t sure she had ever seen someone so at ease as Luke in her kitchen, except for maybe Luke in her studio during practice the day before. She fought back a quick wave of disappointment that it had taken her so long to see what had clearly been right in front of her face all this time.

Something told her that Luke had gotten a little too used to being pushed to the side. He clearly didn’t expect praise or appreciation for his efforts outside of playing music. Not for the first time, she wondered if that had to do with his parents or whatever had happened with Bobby or if it was just him in general. For a guy that didn’t doubt himself whenever there was a guitar in his hand and a song on his lips, he sure seemed willing to fade into the background as soon as he wasn’t lighting up a stage. Julie wished he could see himself the way she did. She realized now that all of that annoying, cocky behavior she had always written off as a personality flaw was simply his way of protecting the tender heart he kept nestled away behind protective walls. The fact that he had been so willing to let her behind those gates hit her straight in the gut, a wave of tenderness washing through her as she stared at his back, mesmerized by his shifting muscles as he moved through the motions of preparing breakfast. If it took the rest of her life, she would make sure he knew how special he was. He was more than just his musical ability. Luke Patterson the person was just as important and precious as Luke Patterson the musician.

Luke turned, a pan of steaming eggs in his hand, and it was all Julie could do not to throw herself into his arms. He tilted his head, her special soft smile curling his lips. She gave him a soft head shake, pushing the plates she had pulled from the cupboard forward so she didn’t have to speak. What could she say? _I’m just having a revelation that I think I’m going spend the rest of my life loving every part of you?_ It was too big to verbalize just yet. She would tuck it into her mental dream box, pulling it out in the dead of night later when it didn’t seem quite so overwhelming. He plated their food without question, slipping into the bar stool next to her with nothing but a whisper of a kiss pressed to her temple. That action alone was enough to make her want to melt completely.

“Thank you.”

Her quiet words were intense enough that he had to hear the underlying meaning behind them. Instead of responding to those unspoken words he graced her with another Julie smile and stretched his arm out along the back of her chair so he could twist a loose curl around one thick finger.

“Anything for you, Julie. You should know that by now.”

 _Anything,_ his words promised, _forever,_ his tone implied. Julie shoveled a bite of eggs in her mouth to avoid responding as her cheeks burned. Luke shot her a quick wink, fully aware of the effect he was having on her, before redirecting his attention and attacking his own plate of food. Comfortable silence settled between them, the only sound the scrape of cutlery against ceramic. Julie scooped the last bite of breakfast into her mouth, surprised when Luke’s hand immediately shot out to grab her plate. She turned to him and nearly choked at the look of pure longing lurking behind his sea glass eyes. She forced herself to swallow, ignoring the way his eyes tracked the movement in her throat before returning to her lips with an entirely different kind of interest burning deep within their depths. Briefly, she flashed back to the moment their lips had connected the night before. It had been entirely too short. Barely even a real kiss, more of a tease really. Yet she couldn’t stop wishing for a repeat. She stopped herself from reaching for him at the last moment, no longer feeling quite as bold in the clear light of day. One side of his mouth tipped up in a knowing smirk before he was moving off of the barstool, rinsing their plates and slotting them into the dishwasher like he had been cooking her breakfast every day of her life. Julie tried her hardest to ignore the way her heart leapt at the thought. For one split second she saw the future stretched in front of her like a never-ending highway. At the beginning and end of every day she saw Luke. The thought thrilled her as much as it gave her pause. The same overwhelming, life-altering realization about loving Luke forever settled deeper into her bones.

Julie had never been the type of girl to dive headfirst into a guy. More often than not, she had been the girl happily standing on the sidelines of romance. Crushing on boys in a superficial way, holding herself above and away from potential intimacy in the name of protection. If she never gave her love away, she could never lose it. Luke was different. He made her feel reckless. Never before had she wanted to drown in another person. Never before had she been willing to give up the iron control she kept on her emotions, if only for the sake of watching someone else react to them. Even scarier than the thought of letting Luke behind her walls was the thought that she actually wasn’t even really afraid of it at all. _She_ was the unstable variable here, not him. Luke had made it perfectly clear time and time again what it would be like to love him, to be loved by him. That type of devotion felt entirely unearned, and yet he continued to offer it to her without hesitation. Julie startled slightly, lost in an endless maze of thoughts when his hands came to rest lightly on her shoulders.

“You’re thinking way too loud for 7:00 am.”

A nervous giggle slipped from her lips, cheeks warming at his casual touch and melodic whisper. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, catching the way he pulled at one corner of his lower lip with his front teeth. His thumbs pressed into the spot where her neck met her shoulder, kneading lightly at the tense muscles there. She let out a contented sigh, melting into his touch. She wasn’t fully ready for this conversation just yet.

“Just trying to figure out what I’m going to do this afternoon. It’s not like I’m back in music classes just yet.”

“ _Yet_ ,” Luke emphasized, adding a little bit of extra pressure into his massage, “but you will be. Have a little faith, Jules. You’ll be back before you know it.”

Julie turned her head slightly so she could look Luke square in the eyes when she smiled at him. It shouldn’t feel so surprising to have his unwavering support. Julie had never lacked in that department before, her parents and Flynn and even Carlos always ready with an encouraging word or cheer. But something about _Luke_ , specifically, believing in her, made her feel like she could take on the world and then some. Without thinking, she reached up to cover his hands with her own. A small spark passed between them at the touch, Luke’s eyes going soft as his lips parted slightly. Julie let herself drown in the depths of his desire for one single moment before wrenching her gaze away and giving herself a mental head shake. Now was not the time to lose herself in Luke Patterson. A quick glance at the clock told her they were cutting it close. She allowed herself a soft moment of her own, winding an arm around his neck so she could push her face into the hollow of his throat for a quick inhale before peeling away and stumbling off of her stool. He stared at her, frozen, before a slow blink and thick swallow thawed him back to life.

“We should, uh, get to school, yeah?”

Her voice cracked a bit, squeaking in an embarrassingly high note as she tried to diffuse the tension. Luke didn’t call her out. Instead, he smirked softly and reached up to tuck a loose curl behind her ear, letting his fingertip linger along her jaw before he dropped his hand down to his side.

“Whatever you say, boss. Lead the way.”

His arm swept out in front of him, Julie slipping into the space created there as she slid away from the barstool. He didn’t crowd her, but she could feel his heat behind her as she made her way to the front door, nonetheless. She waited until they were down the front steps before asking her next question.

“Is your car still parked at home?”

Luke’s hand was at his neck in a nanosecond. Julie cocked a hip, raising a brow at him.

“Okay, so full honesty, the car is Reggie’s. But he doesn’t really know how to drive, er, he really _shouldn’t be allowed_ to drive. So, Alex and I usually take turns driving him to school depending on who is closest to him in the morning...”

It was another little piece of the Sunset Curve puzzle falling into place. Julie loosened her stance, dropping her arms from her hips to dangle at her sides. Luke took a step closer, his body mirroring hers as he dropped his hand from his neck. She followed the line of his arm down to his hands, watched his fingers flex like he wanted to reach for her but was holding himself back. She forced herself to let go and reach for him before she could let her nerves stop her, fingers lacing together as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, pulling him another step closer to her side. The smile he gave her was nothing short of stunning. Julie felt her breath stutter in her chest for a split second before she leaned into the feeling entirely, breathing deeply, lungs filling with jasmine and citrus and that special specific Luke smell.

“We won’t be late for school if we start walking now. Let’s go.”

She shrugged her shoulder, letting the motion pull him even closer. Luke stumbled into her, half accidental half on purpose. Julie let their shoulders jostle against one another before falling into sync walking by his side. This time she didn’t bother to hide the fact that their hands were linked, arms intertwined as they strolled down the sidewalk. It was only when they were entering school grounds once more that she separated slightly, leaving only their palms pressed together and fingers locked against one another. Luke shot her a small pout, but Julie could only laugh and shake her head, knowing that he would understand why she wasn’t ready to make a bigger show than this just yet. They were already in sync enough for her to know that he treasured whatever was blossoming between the two of them just as much as she did. It wasn’t about the outside show of emotions, it was about the quiet moments between the two of them. Moments that were more meaningful for not existing in front of an audience. Luke gave her hand a squeeze before skipping ahead, pulling her along behind him as he weaved through the morning crush of students.

They were later than she had thought they would be. The first bell was already ringing as they walked inside. Julie expected them to separate, Luke to find Alex and Reggie while she dumped her backpack and grabbed the books she would need for class today. She loosened her grip further, turning to step away with a smile, but Luke didn’t let her go so easily. With a smirk of his own, he tossed his head in the direction of her locker in a move reminiscent of him calling her to his microphone during practice the day before. Julie paused just long enough for Luke to step ahead of her again, leading the way without any direction from her. Julie didn’t say anything as she caught up to him, but when she caught his eye she couldn’t help but smile. He dropped her hand once they were in front of her locker, leaning oh so casually against the locker next to hers so he could stare down at her with star filled eyes. Julie ducked her head inside the metal box. _Luke Patterson was going to be the death of her._ A soft chuckle wove its way into her ear, the sound causing a tug low in her belly. The butterflies came back in full force. Julie forced herself to take a deep breath as she tucked her books against her chest, turning slightly to face Luke again. She had one second to lose herself in his gaze before a bright flash of color caught her attention behind his shoulder. _Flynn._ Julie felt her eyes widen slightly, Luke turning to follow her line of vision. The warning bell rang, and Julie breathed out slightly. It was a cliché, but a helpful one. She looked back at Luke. He tucked his hands into his pockets, leaning forward until their foreheads were nearly touching.

“I’ll see you later, boss.”

Julie gave a half-hearted eye roll at the nickname, biting her bottom lip in a futile attempt to stop the stupid lovesick smile she could feel on her face. If the softening of Luke’s features was any indication, she hadn’t managed it in the slightest.

“Later.”

Her whisper was a promise. She didn’t miss the way Luke’s eyes burned for a second. His hand twitched at his side, but he didn’t reach for her. Just nodded and slipped around her, letting their fingers brush for one quick moment before he disappeared down the hallway. Julie managed two deep breaths before Flynn was in her face, tugging her into their homeroom with hushed demands that Julie tell her everything about the night before. Julie gave her a rundown of practice, sparing no details about how surprisingly easy it had been to fall into a rhythm together, but leaving out Luke’s repeated midnight visit. It wasn’t that Julie wanted to lie to Flynn, but it was different than the first night he had shown up. More vulnerable and intimate. Julie felt protective of the way it had shifted her relationship with Luke. Flynn was already ragging on her about the way he had been looking at her this morning. She didn’t need anything else to work into a tease.

“Seriously, Jules, that boy was looking at you like you’re the freaking sun and he wants to orbit you forever. I bet you guys are like the most watchable dueters ever. Has he confessed his undying love for you yet?”

“Flynn!”

Julie felt her cheeks burn as she reached out to shove her best friend hard enough that she tipped back in her desk slightly. Flynn shot her an unamused glare as Julie looked around to make sure they hadn’t been overheard.

“Knock it off, okay? Aren’t you supposed to be my best friend?”

“Yes, and that’s exactly _why_ I’m asking the important questions,” the _duh_ in Flynn’s tone was evident. “He is _gone_ on you, Julie. Like hearts-in-his-eyes, panting-like-a-puppy-dog, throw-himself-in-front-of-a-bus-for-you, gone. What the hell kind of ‘magic’ has been happening in that garage?”

Julie slapped a hand over her face, wishing for the first time that day that she had her trusty ballcap to hide behind. When she peeked through her fingers, Flynn simply raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms in front of her.

“Jeez, why don’t you just come by practice later today and see for yourself?”

Flynn sat up straighter, clearly pleased with the trap Julie had fallen right into. Julie let out a sigh, unable to actually care that much. It would make everything easier if Flynn was able to form her own opinions without asking Julie a million and one embarrassing questions.

“That sounds great actually! I’ll walk home with you.”

Julie rolled her eyes at the satisfied smirk Flynn wasn’t even trying to hide.

“Luke is probably gonna catch a ride with Alex and Reggie. Please, don’t make this a whole thing, okay?”

Flynn softened, reaching out to wrap Julie’s hands in her own. When she spoke all traces of teasing were gone, nothing but pure sisterly love bleeding through.

“Of course not, I promise. This is the happiest I’ve seen you in a year. Can you blame me for wanting to be a part of it too? I just wanna see the musical chemistry with my own eyes. Especially if it’s anything like that little locker scene out there.”

Flynn’s eyebrows danced as she leaned back to fan herself. Julie laughed, the last bit of tension leaving her system. She hadn’t meant to make Flynn feel excluded. She could tell that the other girl wasn’t really upset with her, but Julie also knew that it must sting a little bit to have spent a year with her in the darkness only for a boy to come along and light up her world in just a few days. Flynn deserved to be a part of it. And maybe having someone else see the undeniable force pulling Julie and Luke together would help it feel a bit more real. Her cheeks still felt warm, the butterflies swirling in her gut as she thought about the different ways she had caught Luke staring at her all morning. Luckily, Julie was once again saved by the final bell. Their teacher started morning announcements and Julie was forced to stop thinking about Luke for the first time that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this yesterday as a little Valentine's Day present, but then I got wrapped up in some real life stuff and completely forgot, so I'm sorry its a bit later than planned! I was also originally going to post Day Four as a giant chapter instead of splitting it, but the rest of the chapter gets a bit angsty so I decided to just give you the fluff first. These two make my teeth hurt they're so damn cute together. 
> 
> Also, I mentioned this on tumblr at one point, but Luke definitely cooks breakfast for Julie because my husband does that for me every day. Getchu a partner that doesn't accept sugar as a breakfast substitute (even tho my husband would also literally eat packets of sugar for breakfast if he could)
> 
> Hope you all had a love filled Valentine's Day, whether that love came from family, friends, a partner or even yourself! I'm sending you all some love too❤️


	11. Day Four: Part 2

Flynn left her alone for the rest of homeroom, promising to meet her in the front of the school when classes were over as they parted ways for their next period. Julie hoped she would be able to see Luke before the end of the day. Flynn could be a lot to handle, and the boys definitely deserved a bit of a heads up. She watched for him in the hallways, surprisingly disappointed when she didn’t manage to find him. For someone who had been practically haunting her very steps the last few days, he seemed to have disappeared completely now.

It wasn’t until she was trying to find something to occupy her time during the last two periods of the day, a time she would have normally been in her music classes, that she finally spotted him. Except he wasn’t alone, and something told Julie the conversation she had inadvertently stumbled upon was one that he wouldn’t have wanted her to see. She tucked herself into a small alcove around the corner from the music department before he or Ms. Harrison could spot her.

“Obviously, I can’t make you do anything, Luke, but-”

“Yeah, you can’t. So, you should probably stop trying.”

Julie tried not to gasp aloud. She hadn’t ever heard someone talk to Ms. Harrison like that. Even when Julie had been lashing out at the entire world, she hadn’t felt comfortable disrespecting a teacher with the kind of vitriol she could hear dripping from his tone. Luke was nearly spitting his words, interrupting without a second thought as to whether or not it would get him in trouble. She heard a loud sigh that had to have come from Ms. Harrison.

“The school won’t keep hiding you forever. We’ve allowed it for this long because you’re still showing up for classes, but this isn’t sustainable, Luke. You’ll have to work something out eventually.”

Ms. Harrison’s voice was soft but resigned. The same kind of tone she had used when telling Julie that she was out of the music program. Whatever was going on with Luke was serious. Julie didn’t like the implications of that.

“Well then maybe school isn’t sustainable for me anymore.”

“That would be a true shame. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t throw it away over something like this. All that anger won’t get you very far in life. You’re out of class for the day. Go to the library or a practice room and do some thinking. And check in with Principal Lessa before the day is over. If you leave school property she’s threatened to pull your spot in the Showcase.”

Julie heard Luke start to protest, but Ms. Harrison must have given him a look or some other kind of silent gesture that stopped him because the next thing she heard was the clack of Harrison’s shoes fading away. Suddenly, Luke was rounding the corner, body coiled tight like a spring, tense, angry lines etched into every inch of his face. He was so caught up in his own head he didn’t even see her. Unease swirled in her gut, her heart racing. This wasn’t something for her to meddle in. This was bigger than whatever had been going on between them. She should let him go. But then she saw one hand reach up to angrily scrub at his eyes, and she couldn’t resist calling out to him.

“Luke!”

She tried to keep her voice soft and just loud enough for him to hear without it carrying down the halls to anyone else. She knew he heard her by the way his shoulders tensed before he spun on his heel to face her. The look on his face broke her heart clean in two. He didn’t say anything, just stood there starring at her, tears slowly tracing saltwater paths down his cheeks. The pain swimming in his stormy eyes cut straight through to her core. Without thinking, she rushed forward, throwing her arms around his neck and tucking her face into his chest. It took another moment for him to melt, his arms locking around her waist like a vice. She felt him shudder against her, like he was barely holding it together, and she knew she had to get him out of the hallway.

“Not here,” she whispered against the skin of his throat, placing a soft kiss there as she pulled away to lead him into an open practice room.

Luke followed without speaking. Julie closed the door with a soft _click_ , flicking the occupied light on before she turned to face him again. He stood absolutely still in the middle of the room, eyes unfocused and a million miles away. Slowly, like she was approaching a wounded animal, Julie stepped close until he finally looked down at her. Her hand moved of its own accord, fingers tentatively brushing his in an open invitation. Luke didn’t hesitate to tangle them together, yanking Julie closer to him in the process. She used her free hand to brush the tears from his cheeks, Luke closing his eyes and leaning into her palm as she did so.

“Guess you heard Harrison, huh?”

His voice was rough, anger still simmering under the surface. He didn’t open his eyes, but he also didn’t pull away. Julie took a deep breath and forced herself to be honest.

“Yeah, I did. What was up with that anyway?”

She could feel Luke’s ire rise even though he didn’t move a muscle, so attuned to his energy that the shift in his demeanor felt physical. He turned his face away from her touch and tried to drop her hand, but she held fast, fingers tightening around his as he pulled away. She tugged a little, bringing his body close to hers again, crowding his space so he didn’t have a choice but to open his eyes and look at her. His gaze told her how desperately he wanted to bolt, but her fingers interlocked with his held him captive. She kept her voice soft, infusing it with all of the emotions she hadn’t been able to verbalize just yet.

“Luke.”

She didn’t think she would ever get over watching him react to her. The way his body relaxed ever so slightly, eyes closing for a long moment. A deep breath expanded his chest enough to push against her own. Fire blazed blue green like driftwood set aflame when he finally opened his eyes to peer down at her. His free arm snaked around her waist, flexing as he pulled her closer, trapping them in a bubble all their own. Julie let the movement fill her up, encouraging her to speak again.

“You’ve done so much for me, helped me reconnect with my mom and find my way back to music. I can’t ever thank you enough for that. Talk to me. Let me help you a little bit too. Isn’t that what friends do for each other?”

The question was innocent enough, but she knew him now. Knew the way it would light a fire in him because he had made it clear he wanted more than that. She wanted more too, but only on equal footing. Only if they were able to help each other. Julie wasn’t a damsel in distress. She wanted a partner, not a savior. If this thing with Luke was going to work out, he had to let her all the way in. Had to trust in her the same way she was trusting in him. His eyes darkened, and this time she did let him pull his hand away so he could tuck her so close that every inch of their bodies touched. It took every ounce of sanity she had left to remember that they were in a practice room at school where anyone could stumble on them and not the privacy of somewhere intimate enough for this type of conversation. She absolutely could _not_ kiss him here.

“Friends, boss? That’s what this is?”

The tone of his voice was a little too cocky, a little too smooth. Three days ago, it would have pissed her off, but today she could detect the thin undercurrent of fear. His bravado was nothing more than a defense mechanism designed to protect his soft heart. Julie didn’t say anything. Just tilted her head to the side a bit and raised an eyebrow. He wilted almost instantaneously, head falling to press their foreheads flush together. For a long moment neither one of them moved. Just breathed in and out, each inhale and exhale perfectly timed to match each other. Julie felt it in his body when he gave in, the tension he pushed back to lean on her in more ways than one.

“I don’t have many regrets in my life. I’m not really the kind of guy who wants to live in the past. Gotta keep on moving forward, ya know?”

His whisper was pained, heartbreak filling every word. At the edge of her mind, she could hear one of the Sunset Curve songs she was distantly familiar with, the lyrics to _Now or Never_ playing out with a different kind of understanding attached to them now. She wanted nothing more than to soothe him, but he wasn’t done yet. He breathed in deeply, like he was steeling himself against whatever he was about to say next.

“I ran out on my parents a few months ago. My mom and I...we got into a fight and we both said some things we shouldn’t have and I...I just left. Grabbed my guitar and whatever I could stuff in my backpack and took off on my bike. I couldn’t do it anymore.”

Julie felt her heart rip in her chest. It was worse than she had thought it would be. She replayed the nights he had appeared in the studio, thought back to the way he had stiffened when her dad brought up his parents. He wasn’t just out of his house for a night or two. This wasn’t just some case of teenage angst and parental misunderstanding. She wanted to tuck herself into his chest, head over his heart to offer as much comfort as she could, but his hands had moved from their position against her back to cradle her cheeks like she was the only thing keeping him grounded. Warmth seeped into her skin from his palms, the only space left between them his whispered words.

“The school knows something is up. They’re trying to mediate it. Ms. Harrison wants me to invite my parents to the Showcase, but I know they won’t bother coming. Music is what caused all of our problems in the first place. It’s like they forgot they bought me my first guitar! They couldn’t give less of a shit about watching me play.”

That same defensive, self-deprecating tone had crept back into his voice. The pain blooming in her chest felt completely new, like a desperate ache that didn’t fully belong to her. Luke’s agony, bleeding into her heart and soul. She had to do something to fix this. It wasn’t fair for him to suffer like this. He didn’t say anything else, body deflated against her own like she was the only thing holding him up. His eyes had closed again, though his hands remained on her cheeks. Julie took a deep breath, biting her lip for just a moment before forging ahead.

“Do you trust me?”

Her question jarred him a bit, the seemingly abrupt subject change pulling him out of whatever dark place he had sunk into. His eyes reopened, locking onto her own with a fervor that sent a shiver down her spine.

“100%, Jules, always.”

She couldn’t help but smile at his unwavering faith in her. Like it was the easiest thing in the world to believe in her and nothing else. She pulled back slightly, his hands finally slipping off of her cheeks to rest against her hips again. The distance was enough to let her breathe easily again, the intensity of the last few minutes melting into something softer as he stared at her. She let her own hands tangle into the overgrown locks at the back of his neck, fingers scratching softly in an imitation of his go to move.

“I think you should invite them. They’ll come, Luke. I know they will.”

He barely even waited for her to get the words out before he was trying to pull away, shaking his head, denial ready to go on his lips. She refused to let go, bulldozing ahead while her hands locked to keep his face close to hers.

“They might not love your music, but they love _you._ Have a little faith? If not in them, than in me?”

It was the last line that made him falter. She knew it would. It wasn’t really fair, twisting his words to parrot back at him like that, but if there was one thing Julie was sure of in this world, it was that Luke, and his parents, deserved another chance. She pressed further, opening her own walls a bit wider to let him see what she knew to be true.

“I would give anything for one more moment with my mom. Your parents think they’ve lost you. You have all the power here. If they don’t show, how is that any different than the life you’ve been living without them the last few months? And if they do...well then at least you know that they’re willing to try. Isn’t that worth the risk?”

Julie knew she was fighting a bit dirty. Bringing up her mom, pushing him to see outside of the perspective he had created for himself even though she didn’t fully know the scope of his issues with his parents. It wasn’t entirely hitting above the belt so to speak. But Julie had seen his tears following his disagreement with Ms. Harrison. She had seen him in her studio the last few nights. The pain he was experiencing over this was like a twin flame to her own, except he actually had a chance to change it. His parents weren’t dead, they were down the street, probably beating themselves up even more than he was. And if she was wrong about this, she would be the first to fall on her sword and beg his forgiveness. _If_ she was wrong. She didn’t think she would be. Luke’s eyes closed again, head falling to nestle into her neck like the next words he spoke were too fragile to breathe out anywhere but directly into her ear.

“What if they don’t come?”

Her throat clogged, tears threatening to well in her eyes at the desperate fear lacing every word.

“What if they do? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life wondering? Are you that ready to cut them off forever?”

His silence was the only answer she needed.

“If they don’t show, if they can’t see the amazing person you are, that’s their loss, Luke. You won’t be any stronger for rejecting them before they can reject you. But you _will_ be stronger for taking that leap of faith, for putting your heart out there. And you know we’ll be there to catch you no matter what. Reggie, Alex,” she hesitated for just a moment, that too-big feeling of knowing she would love Luke for the rest of her life nearly choking her before she could get the words out. She pushed it back, knowing he needed to hear it, needed the reassurance that he wouldn’t be alone in this, “and me. I’ll be right there with you.”

The _forever_ at the end of her sentence went unspoken, but Julie could tell that he heard it regardless. His hands flexed, pulling her closer by an infinitesimal amount that she felt all the way down to her core. Luke’s breath stuttered out, hot against the skin he had nuzzled into. Once again, she didn’t need to hear him speak. She could feel his acceptance in the way he finally softened fully against her. All his tension drained away, body slumping in defeat. She moved her fingers away from his neck, kneading the knots of muscle that spanned across his shoulder blades in an imitation of the massage he had given her in her kitchen that morning. He huffed out a quiet chuckle before finally uncurling from his hiding space to face her once more.

“Where’d you learn to give a pep talk like that?”

She raised a brow, leaning into his levity as the weight of their previous conversation began to lift from their little bubble.

“I had a pretty good teacher. You might know him. Overgrown brown hair, pretty boy face, doesn’t know the meaning of sleeves?”

Luke’s laugh echoed throughout the room, finally breaking through the last of the clouds that had gathered there. Julie let herself give into the teasing smile playing at her lips as she stared up at him.

“You think I’m pretty, eh?”

Julie rolled her eyes, pushing at his shoulder as she broke away from his hold. Luke let her go, rocking back on his heels as he bit his lip and watched her with a heated gaze.

“Don’t let it go to your head, Patterson. Your ego can barely fit through the door as is.”

He raised his hands in a half-hearted gesture.

“If the shoe fits, might as well wear it. Not my fault I’m the second most naturally gifted student here.”

Julie let her laugh build and burst, happy to see him mostly back to his usual self. She would weather any storm with him, but these sunshine-y moments felt more natural. Luke hadn’t been made to suffer. He deserved every bit of happiness this world could give him.

“Only the second?”

“Well, it’s not like I can compete with a wicked beauty like you.”

Heat flushed through Julie from the top of her head all the way down to her toes. Luke bit his lip, watching her process his words, fully aware of his ability to render her speechless. She drew in a shaky breath, reminding herself _again_ that it would be completely inappropriate to kiss him right now. She ducked her head, skip stepping her way over to the piano set up in the room instead. Luke didn’t say anything else, and when she raised her gaze to meet his again there was a softness lingering there that made her feel hot in an entirely different way. She let the smile she had been fighting break through.

“Grab a guitar, rockstar. We might as well get some work done on _Bright_ since we’re both exiled from music class today.”

“Whatever you say, boss.”

Luke’s grin was easy, his movements fluid and relaxed as he grabbed one of the school’s electric guitars and swung it over his head. Julie met his eyes for a brief moment, a silent understanding of thanks passing from him to her, before she placed her fingers against the keys and led them into the beginning of the song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop, there's the angst! I wrote this scene between Luke and Julie so long ago revisiting it was like picking off an old scab, but Luke can't be a soft boy all the time. And I really love that canon Juke is all about balance and helping each other through similar pain, so my fanon Juke needed that as well. Also, if I had combined this part and the final part of Day Four this chapter would have gone over 6K words so I needed to break it up for the sake of just getting something posted. Day Five will be shorter and I think just a single chapter for Day Six, which means only three chapters left until the very end! As always, thank you for all of your sweet comments and kudos, they mean the world to me💕


	12. Day Four: Part 3

They played together until the disruption of the final bell broke through their concentration. Julie jolted when the sound rang out loud and clear in the practice room, feeling herself come out of her musical headspace like she was coming out of a trance. She suddenly realized that they had drawn closer and closer throughout their practice to the point that they were sharing the same mic, lips only inches apart. Luke seemed to register their closeness at the exact same moment, pupils expanding as his eyes flicked down and back up. She could read the intent behind his eyes as he started to lean forward, but they would only have a few minutes until the halls were filling with students and their friends would start looking for them. They didn’t have the time to lose themselves. She pulled back slightly, trying not to laugh at the way Luke’s lips automatically morphed into a pout.

“You have to go check in with Lessa,” she reminded him softly. “And...I might have told Flynn she could come watch us practice tonight? I meant to tell you earlier, I just got...distracted.”

Luke smirked and rocked back on his heels, bouncing despite the guitar in his hands, clearly proud to be considered a distraction.

“It’s cool, it’ll be good to have an audience. Do you wanna wait and ride with the boys? Or should we just meet you there?”

Julie breathed a sigh of relief that it was that easy. But of course it was because it was Luke. She was thankful that he was giving her the option. She needed a minute with Flynn to convince her that it was totally normal to be head over heels for a boy after only three days, and she wanted to give Luke the chance to give Reggie and Alex a head’s up. Plus, she wasn’t sure how long his talk with Lessa would take, and she didn’t want him rushing through it just because he thought she was waiting on him.

“We’ll meet you there. I’ll get the studio set up.”

Luke gave her a fond nod.

“You got it, boss.”

He grabbed his backpack from the spot he had dropped it earlier and turned towards the door before hesitating. Before she had a chance to ask him if everything was okay, he took three quick steps until he was right in front of her, one hand reaching out to grab the back of her head softly before his lips were on her temple for a brief moment.

“Thank you , Julie.”

The words were heavy with sincerity, the kiss he left behind quick but fierce. He was smiling and ducking out of the door before she could respond. Her skin burned where his lips had touched, and she raised a hand to rub at the spot before finally blinking back to reality. Leave it to Luke Patterson to scramble her brains in three seconds flat. Her breath came out in one long exhale. _Flynn. She needed to find Flynn._ Julie grabbed her own bag and left the room to join the rest of the students flooding the hallways.

Flynn was exactly where she said she would be, stretched on her toes to scan the crowd for Julie. She knew when she’d been spotted by the grin her best friend shot her way. Julie rolled her eyes when she caught Flynn eagerly searching the space behind and beside her, probably looking to see if the boys were with her. She gave a slight head shake, answering the unspoken question as she looped her arm through her bestie’s.

“They’re gonna meet us at the house. C’mon, I promised to get the studio set up.”

Flynn pouted for a second as they made their way out of the school. Julie couldn’t help but laugh. Flynn would get her chance to interrogate the boys soon enough. They fell in step with each other as they walked the familiar path to Julie’s house.

“Can we get whatever teasing you have stockpiled out of the way now please?”

Flynn snickered, pulling Julie close as she squeezed their conjoined arms.

“Nope,” Flynn popped the _p_ with a smirk. “What would be the fun in that? Is there anything you wanna _tell_ me before we get there though?”

Julie gave her best friend a sidelong glance. Flynn simply raised an eyebrow. Julie wasn’t a very good liar and Flynn had always been able to read her like a book. Plus, maybe saying it out loud would make it easier to face Luke.

“He kissed me in the practice room earlier,” Julie blurted out. “On the forehead!” She added quickly when Flynn’s mouth dropped. But then guilt churned in her gut and she couldn’t stop herself from admitting the full truth, “I also might have, maybe kissed him last night in the studio...”

“Julie Molina!” Flynn’s free hand reached out to smack Julie’s bicep, her voice an undignified shriek. “ _Last night?!_ And you’re just telling me this _now?!_ ”

“It...I...it just happened! Honestly, Flynn, all of it just... _happened._ ”

Flynn must have caught the slightly wild look Julie could feel creeping into her eyes, panic rising as she fought for a way to explain it to her without sounding absolutely ridiculous. Her best friend’s features softened slightly, gently pulling Julie to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk so she could face her fully. Julie took advantage of the separation to wrap her arms around herself, hugging tight. She bit her lip and met Flynn’s steady gaze.

“I think...I think he likes me like...a _lot._ And I think...I think he has for _years,_ Flynn. And it’s kind of terrifying because, honestly, after spending the last few days around him...I think I like him a lot, too. Like way more than it should be possible to, but at the same time it kind of feels meant to be?”

Julie groaned, unwrapping her arms so she could bury her face in her hands.

“ _God_ , that sounds so _stupid._ ”

“Hey.”

Flynn’s voice was quiet, her touch gentle as she pulled Julie’s hands away from her face. Julie forced herself to meet Flynn’s gaze, allowed the softness swimming in her warm brown eyes to fill her up with comfort.

“It doesn’t sound stupid. I mean, Romeo and Juliet fell in love in a single night, right? Crazier things have happened.”

Julie let out a weak laugh.

“Are you comparing my love life to a romantic tragedy? They both died at the end of the play you know.”

Flynn bumped their hips together.

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing that I’m a better friend than Mercutio.”

“Wait, are you saying I’m _Romeo_ in this situation?”

“Hell no. Luke is _definitely_ Romeo. Dude, I clocked him being in love with you after three freakin’ seconds of locker interaction. Are you really gonna tell me that you think he only ‘likes’ you?”

Julie sighed, leaning against Flynn’s side.

“No,” her response was so quiet she wasn’t sure Flynn actually heard it. That same uncontrollable need to confess bubbled up and she found herself whispering, “He already told me he thinks he’s been a little bit in love with me for years.”

Flynn pulled away to look at Julie head on.

“Okay, first of all, called it. Second of all, what are you so afraid of then? Sounds like he’s made himself pretty clear. You can’t possibly think he’s going to reject you after all of that. Between the Showcase and now this? That boy has it _bad._ ”

Julie sighed again, slumping forward until her forehead was pressed against Flynn’s.

“I don’t think he’s going to reject me. That’s not the problem. I just...it all feels so big, you know? Like it’s only been a few days since I was getting kicked out of the music program and my life was falling apart and Luke Patterson was just some stuck-up, self-obsessed upperclassman. It’s a pretty serious swerve to go from that to...whatever we are now.”

“Do you still think he’s just some stuck-up, self-obsessed upperclassman?”

Julie couldn’t help but laugh. The idea of Luke as anything but the soft-hearted puppy she knew him to be was absolutely hilarious now.

“Definitely not. He’s sweet and supportive and dealing with his own shit, but still putting me and my stuff first and it just...it’s like everything I thought was true isn’t and now I’m looking back at everything realizing I never saw it for what it really was. Do you know he used to listen to mom and me in the studio? Apparently he lives in the neighborhood. And last year, right before we lost Mom, we got paired up in Intro to Comp for duets. I kinda forgot about it until yesterday, but when I think back, he was so nice to me when I couldn’t have been a very helpful partner. Even writing with him back then felt natural, like we just clicked, you know? It’s crazy to me that I had forgotten about that, but I don’t think he ever did.”

Flynn was quiet for a long moment, studying Julie with a kind of gentle gaze that made her feel like she was being seen straight through. When she spoke again, that same softness infused her words.

“Jules, I don’t think he’s the only one that’s been a little bit in love for years. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but the two of you, and it seems to me like it makes _perfect_ sense to you. I know it’s big and scary, but you have to have a little faith. Let go and let it be what it is. You’re like a whole new person because of him, who cares if it happened fast. It happened. Fighting it isn’t gonna change anything now except to make you both miserable.”

Flynn made it all sound so easy, echoing Luke’s words from the day before and her own from that afternoon in the practice room. _Have a little faith._ With sudden clarity Julie realized that it truly _was_ just that easy. The only roadblocks were the ones she kept throwing up. She thought back to the times before her mom had died, the way her parents would interact with each other, the pure ease and comfort of their love. She had always wanted something like that for herself. She just hadn’t expected it to arrive in the form of a shaggy haired band boy with stars in his eyes and his heart on his metaphorical sleeves. She inhaled deeply before exhaling, imagining all of her doubts being released on that breath to disappear into the ether. When she opened her eyes, Flynn was smiling at her. Julie smiled back, feeling lighter than before. She reclaimed Flynn’s arm, the two of them setting off for Julie’s house once more.

“Thanks, Flynn. You are seriously the best friend I could ever ask for.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

Flynn chimed in with a laugh. Then, she laid her head on Julie’s shoulder for a quick minute.

“You deserve the world, Julie. If Luke is offering it to you, you should grab it with both hands. Now, no more secrets about kissing! I need all the juicy details if I’m gonna live vicariously through your love life.”

Julie giggled and spent the rest of the short walk home describing exactly how charged the moments had gotten between her and Luke. She still didn’t confess to Flynn about him spending the night in the studio again, it wasn’t her place to expose that part of Luke’s trauma, but Flynn was more than happy to latch onto the emotional details while ignoring the practicality of how and when Julie had managed to be alone in the studio with him.

By the time the studio was set up and Flynn was making herself comfy on the couch with snacks, Julie heard the boys making their way down the driveway. She shot her best friend one last warning look to behave, and then hauled the doors open to welcome the boys.

“Julie!”

Reggie was the first one bounding through the doorway, arms thrown wide to pull Julie in for a spinning hug. She returned it with a smile before Reggie was letting her go to focus on more important things.

“Snacks! And Flynn! Hi, Flynn!”

“Hey, Reggie. Thanks for helping my girl out with this music program bullshit.”

Reggie tore into a bag of chips.

“Oh no prob, that was all Luke. The things we do for friends in love.”

Reggie sighed, hand over his heart as Flynn cracked up on the sofa. Julie felt her cheeks blaze, but then Alex was there, gathering her into a soft hug and whispering in her ear.

“Ignore him, he hasn’t learned the meaning of using a filter just yet.”

And then Alex was grabbing a water bottle and settling in behind the drum kit with a wave for Flynn. Luke slipped in next, shy smile dancing on his lips as he eyed Julie. She bit her lip to fight back her own smile which seemed to be all the invitation he needed to scoop her into a quick, but tight hug. She didn’t miss the way he sneaked a kiss onto her cheek, the motion hidden by her hair. For a moment, she let herself get lost in his gaze, reaching up to softly brush a few stray wisps of hair out of his eyes.

“How did it go?”

She kept her voice soft, the question meant just for the two of them to hear. He shrugged, but she saw the uncertainty he felt lurking under the surface.

“I told her I’d invite them, but I’m still not sure how I’m gonna pull that off. I don’t think I’m ready to see them just yet. Lessa seemed happy though so I guess that’s good.”

From the quiet way he murmured it, Julie could tell he still wasn’t sure they would accept the invitation. She pulled back, giving his hand a squeeze.

“We’ll figure it out. Together.”

The smile Luke blessed her with felt like pure sunshine shining down on her. Julie swallowed against the sudden wave of emotions that rose up in her chest.

“Told you they’re in love.”

Reggie’s loud stage whisper to Flynn was enough to break both Julie and Luke. They flushed matching shades of red, turning away from each other quickly. Flynn snorted which pulled Julie’s gaze to hers. Her best friend raised a brow and popped a chip in her mouth as if to say _and you were worried I would be the embarrassing one._ Alex smacked a drumstick on a cymbal loud enough to cause them all to jump, shooting a sly wink Julie’s way as the other boys hopped to grab their instruments.

Julie took a deep breath. It was fine. The boys and Flynn could tease all they wanted. When she looked up and caught Luke’s eye and he smiled that special soft smile at her, she knew it was all worth it because yeah they probably _were_ in love. And when the right time came they would name it for themselves. Nothing to be ashamed of. She settled in behind her keyboard and nodded at Alex to count them in.

The same magic as the day before burst to life the instant they started playing. Julie felt it well up inside of her like a living breathing thing. This family, this home they were creating together through chords and lyrics and harmonized voices, felt so incredibly right. She could tell that Flynn felt it too from the way her mouth dropped, spine straightening as she leaned forward in her seat like the song was physically pulling her in. Julie let herself fall into the same hazy headspace she had occupied in the practice room a few hours ago, catching Luke’s eye, holding her mic out for him to share. Occasionally, when those too big feelings threatened to drown her, she would break away to play off of Reggie or Alex. But she always found her way back to Luke before the end of the song. Like a magnet existed between them, pulling them closer and closer all the time.

The hours passed in seconds, the four of them running the song over and over again until it was as perfect as it was going to get. Julie didn’t feel the same sort of nervous energy about not being able to play together that she had felt the day before. Now she was nervous for the reaction from the school. They were _good_ together. Better than she had been on her own. Principal Lessa and Ms. Harrison would have to see that. Flynn echoed the sentiment when Julie walked her out of the studio as the boys cleaned up now that their practice had come to a close.

“Jules, you guys are fucking _killer._ There is no way they won’t let you back in the program. And honestly, I’m willing to let Double Trouble die a quiet death if it means you four sticking together. It’s like you were meant to play together.”

Julie felt flushed, still riding the high that came with preforming so effortlessly. That coupled with Flynn’s enthusiastic support made her feel like she was practically flying. Flynn grinned, grabbing her in a quick hug.

“You’ve gotta work on your branding though. Sunset Curve was fine when it was just the boys, but I’m thinking something more along the lines of Julie and Her Himbos.”

Julie couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up, pressing Flynn in tight as if she could infuse all of the love in her heart into that moment.

“We’ll work on it. Thank you for coming today. It means a lot that you support this.”

“Of course, I support it! What else are best friends for? Now, you get those cute boys inside for dinner and I’ll try and brainstorm some outfit ideas for your big performance tomorrow. You’re gonna slay.”

With a final lingering hand squeeze Flynn took off to make it home in time for her own family dinner. Julie had barely managed to catch Carlos as he came barreling down from the house in a whirlwind of unrestrained excitement 5 minutes before, shouting about how dinner was ready and the boys had to stay since it was spaghetti night. Flynn hadn’t even balked at the knowledge that the entire Molina family seemed to be adopting the Sunset Curve boys into their lives. She had simply raised a knowing brow and ruffled Carlos’ hair as he skirted around them into the studio. The studio where there was now a rather loud commotion, followed by three teenagers and one preteen stumbling out laughing. Julie didn’t ask, she was sure she’d find out over dinner, but she did take a moment to appreciate how the guys had seemed to envelop Carlos into their fold. She could do worse than a band full of brothers that was more than willing to add another, even if he was pint sized and occasionally annoying.

Carlos led the way up to the house, Reggie and Alex close behind. Luke lagged a bit, falling into step with Julie. She bumped their hands together, smiling when he tangled their fingers without hesitation. Unspoken understanding passed between them in the few seconds that their eyes caught, and then Julie was pulling him inside. All three boys hesitated a bit on the threshold, as if unsure what type of reception they would get. Julie opened her mouth the reassure them, but then Ray appeared from the kitchen with a dish towel over one shoulder and a “World’s Best Mom” apron that had once been Rose’s tied around his waist. The smile he offered the boys was nothing short of welcoming.

“Boys _,_ come in, come in!” He gestured happily, waving his arms in large sweeping motions that nearly had Julie rolling her eyes. “I bet you all worked up quite the appetite out there. _Mija,_ grab the salad and bring it the table? I need to properly meet this band of yours.”

Julie gave the boys a reassuring smile before slipping around them to grab the requested bowl from the kitchen. By the time she made it into the dining room the boys seemed relatively at ease, Ray’s apron now hanging from the back of his chair at the head of the table as he praised what little he had heard from inside of the house during their practice and showered thanks upon them all for helping Julie. She didn’t miss the way that the boys all looked a little shell shocked, as if they hadn’t ever experienced the type of open support Ray was giving out so easily. She gave them each a small shoulder squeeze as she made her way to the seat next to Luke.

Dinner was a loud, slightly messy affair. Ray heaped massive amounts of spaghetti onto plates that were passed around in a circle, each boy somehow ending up with the largest portion. Carlos had eagerly claimed a seat next to Reggie, who didn’t seem to mind the attention one bit as they discussed video games and Marvel movies.

“He’s got a little brother at home,” Luke whispered from his spot next to Julie. “They’re pretty close.”

Julie smiled, perfectly able to picture a miniature Reggie. She wondered if that had been part of Reggie’s hesitation to stay for dinner the night before, unable to plan too spontaneously with a kid to partially look after at home. From the way Luke had talked about families the day before, and their reaction to her dad earlier, she had a feeling none of them had the type of parents that were super present in their lives. She wished she would have known before. She would have made an effort to extend an extra invitation. She made a mental note to tell Reggie that his brother was always welcome, wondering all the while if he was close to Carlos’ age. Maybe a little bit of friendship matchmaking was in her future, especially since Reggie kept shooting idolizing glances at Ray when he chimed in on their conversation.

Alex sat on the other side of Reggie, completely at ease as he watched the interactions between his bandmates and the Molina family. Julie noticed that his shoulders looked lower, posture more relaxed than she had ever seen it outside of when he was behind his kit. Something about knowing he felt comfortable here made a warm feeling swell in her chest. Almost like pride that her family could set him at ease. It was a far cry from the stiff, uncomfortable way the boys had reacted in the studio yesterday. She might not know the extent of what they were dealing with in their respective homes, but if Luke’s relationship with his parents was any indication she would bet it wasn’t at all like what she had grown up experiencing. If her house could become a safe haven for them, she was more than happy to share it. It would be a small bit of repayment for everything they were doing for her.

By the time their plates were clean, the sun had fallen, and Carlos was pretty much half asleep at the table. All the excitement of being in the presence of cool teenagers had wound him up just enough to cause an early crash. Julie squeezed Luke’s hand under the table, uncertain when his hand had made its way into her lap but relishing in the feeling of it all the same. The boys tried to offer their help with the dishes, but Ray waved them off with a gentle smile.

“No, no, _mijos,_ this dinner was my thanks to you for bringing my little girl back to life.”

His eyes twinkled softly as he regarded the teens gathered around the table. Julie wondered if he felt it too, that same magic that had bonded her to the boys. She remembered when dinners had been loud and long, her mom and dad happy to keep them at the table for hours if it meant laughter and long conversations about everything and nothing. Julie realized it had been far too long since dinner time had been anything more than a quick, quiet chance to catch up over lukewarm leftovers. Alex, Luke, and Reggie hadn’t only brought her back to life, they had brought life back into a home that had been severely lacking in it for the last year. She gave her dad a grateful smile.

"Now, Carlito, you grab the plates and I’ll load the dishwasher. Julie, you’re on pots and pans, but only after you say your goodbyes. Boys, you’re welcome at our table anytime.”

Carlos whined for exactly two seconds before standing and grabbing the stack of plates Julie passed his way. The boys looked a bit shell shocked, and Ray was quick ducking into the kitchen as if he knew they needed a moment. Carlos followed behind, but not before turning eagerly to Reggie.

“Next time you come over you have to play Super Smash with me! Julie’s so bad she always gets kicked off the platform in like 30 seconds, it’s super lame.”

“You’re super lame, _Carlito_.”

Julie stuck her tongue out, Carlos mirroring the gesture as Reggie chuckled.

“Sure thing, little dude. But you’ve gotta catch up on the Avengers so I don’t spoil anything for you.”

He gave Carlos a high five, and Julie felt her heart swell. Then they were alone in the dining room, nothing but the sound of Carlos happily chattering at Ray over the splash of running water filtering out of the kitchen. Julie looked around the table, catching each boy’s eye.

"Thanks for staying for dinner, guys. I don’t know if you can tell or not, but I think Carlos is officially your number one fan. And my dad already loves you.”

Alex laughed, smirking at Luke across the table.

“Maybe Reggie’s number one fan. Jury still seems to be out on Luke.”

Luke pouted and Julie knocked his shoulder a bit to draw his attention.

“Nah, that’s how you know he really likes you. The more he teases the cooler he thinks you are. Except for Reggie but that’s clearly because he just has the big brother gene.”

Reggie’s cheeks tinged pink under Julie’s compliment. Slowly the boys stood from the table, Julie dropping Luke’s hand in the process. He waited until Reggie and Alex started to make their way back to the front door before leaning down to whisper in her ear, the sensation setting a riot of butterflies loose in her stomach.

“Carlos isn’t the Molina I want as my number one fan anyway.”

Julie slid her gaze to his, breath catching at the clear intent behind his eyes. She took a moment to breathe him in, the scent of jasmine still barely detectable in his hair. They moved together, Luke ghosting along behind her as she followed Alex and Reggie who seemed to be wrapped up in their own conversation.

“Yeah, well, my dad’s probably already scheming ways to trap you into more family dinners.”

Luke smiled her smile and shook his head gently at her tease.

“Guess again.”

“You haven’t even met my Tía yet. Trust me, she can be a lot.”

His eyes darkened slightly, hand skimming along her lower back as he moved closer behind her, the heat from his body so close she could feel it. Julie tried not to shiver, not fully ready to give up the game just yet. She tilted her head, eyes rolling off to the side like she was searching her brain for possibilities.

“Hmmm...not sure who else could be left...”

Luke’s hand flexed, his grip solidifying as it slid around to her hip.

“Lemme see if I can help you out...voice like a wrecking ball, insanely talented songwriter, wickedly beautiful, basically a musical goddess that kinda makes my heart skip a beat when I see her.”

His voice had softened towards the end and when Julie stopped just inside the open door to look him fully in the eye the way he was staring at her was so tender she felt her own heart skip a beat.

“She sounds pretty special.”

Julie was rapidly losing the ability to keep teasing the longer she let herself drown in the oceanic depths of his gaze. His lips quirked up, a lopsided smile that told her he felt it too. The hand not resting on her hip rose up, one finger stroking the line of her jaw.

“She is.”

The fire left behind from his gentle touch blanked her mind completely. Luke’s grin blossomed fully, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.

“Oy, lovebirds! Can you two save that for a more private setting?”

Alex’s voice startled both of them. It was fond, but with a tinge of seriousness that wasn’t entirely joking. Luke’s cheeks colored slightly, but his smile didn’t fade.

“Don’t worry, they’ll get used to it eventually,” he said quietly.

And then his lips were brushing her cheek and once again he was out of reach before she could respond. She watched him meet the other boys at the bottom of the steps, her hand raised to cradle the spot where he had kissed her. _Scrambled brains. Again._ He was way too good at doing that.

Reggie let out a playful “ _ow ow!”_ and Luke pulled him into a headlock, laughing. Alex simply rolled his eyes and waved at Julie. She waved back, slightly dazed, watching them make their way to the van parked in front of her house. Luke turned back and gave her a small salute, fist over his heart before he raised two fingers in her direction. Then he slipped inside the van, Reggie piling in behind him as Alex went around to the front. She watched them drive off, her lips curving into a small smile as she made her way back inside the house.

Her dad and Carlos were still in the kitchen and she slipped in next to them at the sink to begin washing the spaghetti pot. It was quiet for a moment, the only sound the running water as she tried not to think too hard about Luke and his kisses. It was only when she was passing the wet dish to her father to dry that she realized Carlos was no longer in the kitchen and her dad was staring at her curiously.

“Seems like you’ve got yourself quite the band, _mija._ I like them.”

“Thanks, Papí. I like them too.”

Her dad’s eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. He didn’t say anything more, but Julie could tell that he had read between the lines. He had watched her interacting with Luke all night after all. If Flynn was to be believed, subtlety was not their strong suit. He moved to put the pot away, pulling her in for a hug when his hands were free.

“Your mamá would have liked them a lot.”

His words were quiet, arms tightening around her as he spoke, before he stepped back. Julie felt it again as she watched him surreptitiously wipe a tear away, that same warm feeling like her mother was right there with them, agreeing and approving. Julie beamed. Her dad leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head and then sent her upstairs to finish off homework and get ready for bed, reminding her she would need her rest for the big day tomorrow.

When she climbed into bed a few hours later, she fell asleep thinking about Luke and the way her life had changed so fast all thanks to him and his boys. Whether it was some cosmic power or her mom’s doing, Julie didn’t care. She sent out a universal thank you to whatever had brought the gift of Sunset Curve into her life. They had saved her, and she vowed she would do the same for them, whatever they needed, whenever they needed it. Starting with Luke’s parents tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to all the Flynn haters out there. She is the ultimate best friend and anyone who says otherwise is simply wrong. Getchu a best friend like Flynn.
> 
> In other news, I had to cut the practice scene a bit short because otherwise this chapter would have been way too long and a bit tedious. I felt like the dinner scene was more important. There are also some transitions that felt rough, but I really needed to reign myself in before I spent thousands of words detailing small interactions😅 This chapter is already the longest yet which does not bode well for a short Day Five. Might end up having to split it into two parts after all.
> 
> Thank you for all of your love/comments/kudos! I'm not always the best at responding in a timely manner but they truly mean the world to me and encourage me to keep writing when I feel stuck! You guys are the best<3


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